A Lover's Brawl
by HokageAkamaru
Summary: Ike and Link have been an inseparable item ever since they've laid eyes on each other. Marth, who's stood by Link's side as a brother and best friend, betrays him in the worst way possible. IkeXLink IkeXMarth MarthXRoy PitXLink Rated M for a reason.
1. A Lover's Brawl: Prolouge

Title: A Lover's Brawl

Pairing(s): **IkeXLink**,** IkeXMarth**, Eventual** MarthXRoy**, Eventual** PitXLink**

Rating: M

**Full Story:** _Link has always been the quiet, shy type. That is… until Ike came into his life. Since then, Ike and Link have been an inseparable item ever since they've laid eyes on each other. Marth, coping with his broken heart after the disappearance of his very own lover—Roy—had secretly loved Ike from the beginning. But it was too late, Link was the only one on Ike's mind._

_With his seductive powers and body, he lures Ike to him, the both of them sharing many nights together. And ever since, Ike has not been able to let him—nor his delicious shape—go. Link is totally unaware of this, Ike constantly lying to him about his whereabouts to protect he and his prince's relationship. With whole-hearted trust, Link believes every single word._

_Marth wants a fully committed relationship with Ike—tired of hiding it—and he will do anything to get it, even if that means hurting one of the people that he loves the most._

_But there is one more person that complicates this plot._

_Someone who watches his crush from afar._

_(This story takes place after Super Smash Brother's Melee, the reason why Roy is "missing")_

* * *

**The Beginning**

The very first time Ike laid eyes on the blonde-haired Hyrulean, he was lured by a beautiful, peaceful melody of what sounded like a flute. He followed the peaceful sound until he found himself standing before a man wearing some strange, elfin hat.

Link sat alone in front of the enormous Smash mansion, taking in the breath-taking sunset with his faithful fairy Navi by his side.

"_Hey there._"

Link nearly jumped out of his skin at the booming base in the newcomer's voice. He dropped his peculiar looking instrument, Navi flying safely back in his pocket.

"Oh! _Sorry_... I didn't mean to scare you!"

"No, no... It's fine."

Link remained focused on the astounding view before him… clearly ignoring Ike's presence.

There was an awkward silence.

"What was that you were playing?" Ike nervously asked the stranger, picking up the horseshoe shaped utensil. He handed it back to Link, taking a seat beside him. "…Thank you. And this is a grass flute. I used to play it all the time from where I came from. T-To summon my horse…" Link replied frailly, receiving the one of a kind flute.

Ike smiled at him, but Link shyly looked away...

_Okay, he's a little strange._

"Oh! Name's _Ike_. Ike Greil."

And he offered him hand to shake. Link stared at it long enough, as if he were thoroughly inspecting it, or reading his fortune lines. After for what seemed like an eternity, Link heedfully took his hand and slightly shook it.

"_Link_. My name is _Link_," he stressed... for whatever reason.

"_Link_…" Ike tested, "Nice to meet you, Link."

The blonde smiled at his new acquaintance, returning to the dazzling dusk only nature could conjure, and unsure of what to say next. Now that he had introduced himself, what else was there to talk about? Well... they could elaborate on how beautiful the skies looked, or he could probably ask him a few questions about himself.

Some moments passed before anyone spoke a word.

"Uh… Link?"

"Y-yes?"

"You can let go of my hand now…"

"_Ah—!_" Link shouted, his cheeks burning as he shamefully tucked his hands in his pockets, "I am sorry...!"

"It's alright. _No need to get so flustered!_" Ike flashed him a confident grin. Link politely returned a half-smile, staring bashfully at his ruined boots...

"_Well,_ I don't know about you, but I'm starving. Care to join me for dinner, Link?"

The Hyrulean's head snapped up, "Uh, yeah... sure—_wah!"_

"Let's go, buddy!"

And off they strolled into the Smash Mansion, Ike dragging the stiffened Link by the hand along his right side.

xXx

**The Embrace**

After dinner, and very much introducing, Prince Marth offered to show the newcomer around the mansion. As expected, Ike gratefully accepted, churning up more unfamiliar discussion of war and such. A discussion in which he felt he had no place to join. Link didn't like to admit it, but, he was always jealous of Marth's outgoing personality. Why Link was so introverted, he didn't know. He never really talked much, and he was socially… let's say... _handicapped._ Communicating with people he is not comfortable with was something he didn't excel in. Who could?

Marth could.

The ladies loved him, the guys envied him. Link wanted to have that much confidence, or at least some of it… he _hated_ being the awkward, shy one.

They were now strolling through the hallway of many dorms, Link tagging along behind his friends. He was the "third wheel", if you would. And he was basically excluded from any sort of conversation. So he figured it was time to retire...

"Um, Marth… _I'm going to go to bed_… See you tomorrow," Link softly told royalty. Marth smiled at the shorter man, giving him a hug. "_Alright!_ Goodnight, Link! _Sweet dreams!_"

The blonde grinned nicely, heading for his dorm room.

Until someone snatched him up.

"Where do you think _you're _goin'? Not going to say 'Goodnight' to me?" Ike pinned Link against his body with one bare arm. Link couldn't possibly respond. He was too being suffocated by Ike's chest, which he could tell was very toned beneath the thin cloth. The nervous Hyrulean hoped that he could miraculously escape from the confines of Ike as he peered into those friendly, blue eyes.

He prayed to whatever higher power that was present for no traces of red tainting his cheeks. It would only make him seem ever the more stranger to Ike.

"Um… Goodnight, Ike…"

"_See?_ Was that so hard?"

"No… I guess not."

Ike grinned, "…_Goodnight, Link_. Hey, would you like to train tomorrow morning with me?"

"Oh… _sure_, Ike." Link replied with a big smile. One thing he did like to do was train. Maybe this way he would warm up to him and convince him he's not some... "weirdo". Ike's eyes softened along with his inviting smile and Link was beginning to feel this incredibly warm sensation bubble up in his chest.

_I can't stop staring… His eyes… they won't let me go…_

"Marth wants to go training, _too__!_"

The Hyrulean snapped out of his trance thanks to that obnoxious, prince-like whine.

"Of course you can join us, Marth!" Ike assured with a heavy chuckle, "Well, Link here wants some sleep, so, _I guess I have to let you go now_."

_Let me go…? What's he me— _

He gasped.

And he wondered why he was feeling unexplainably warm. Link didn't doubt the idea that he was beet-red, and he hated being humiliated more than anything in the entire universe. The shaken, petite man forcefully tore his body off of the taller man, roughly knocking him to the ground.

He was just digging a deeper hole for himself.

xXx

**The Kiss**

Week after week did the three swordsmen train.

Link was surprised at Ike's enormous strength, but he was no match for Marth's incredible speed. Link gave him a couple of pointers about His Highnesses weak spots. He knew he shouldn't have, but that's how suddenly close their relationship grew.

The Hyrulean felt as if he could tell Ike just about… _anything_. A peculiar feeling he hadn't felt since he'd met Princess Zelda, strangely.

He was surprised at how Ike quickly adapted to his new surroundings, but he was a traveler... So it should've been expected.

But that wasn't even the best part about their friendship! Link didn't act so flustered about him anymore! Ike was a real easy person to get along with, and he loved the way the spiky-headed man gave off these coaxing vibes that it was okay to be himself... He didn't have to hide away in a little shell whenever he felt he was revealing too much of him. Sometimes he didn't even know he was acting like the "real Link". Just yesterday he burst out laughing at some hilarious joke that Ike told, but just as quickly slapped a hand over his mouth to cease the cackling noise. Marth and Ike's head snapped back at their shorter friend, eyes wide with shock.

_Link?! Chuckling like a hyena?! _

That was out of the ordinary!

All Ike had to do was simply smile and bat those lashes, giving the blonde Hyrulean enough confidence to remove his hand from those shy lips.

He and Ike spent more time together, the indigo-haired swordsman learning more and more about Link's hidden personality each day. He was very much still shy around him some of the time, but he was certain that it wasn't his bashfulness. There was a part of Link that he kept secret from his friend... He couldn't tell what it was, but something kept... _pushing _him. It wasn't visible, he couldn't taste it, it had no aroma, and there was no solidified matter he could physically touch…

But he would _feel _it... He felt it every moment he was by Ike's side, whenever he and Ike made intimate, physical contact, even when the indigo-haired man plainly spoke his _name _in the dreamy voice...

The feeling seemed to always be present while his heart simultaneously pounded endlessly against his chest... _Telling_ him something.

But... _what?_

"Link, would you like to come over to my dorm to rest a bit?"

"Oh, sure... I'd _love_ to go—_I mean!_ I'd _like_ to come over. _YES!_" he shouted enthusiastically, but he pressed down on his lips with his teeth as he began to regret responding so... desperately.

Ike deeply chuckled, gently patting his blonde head. "Heh,_ you're too cute_. C'mon! _This way!_"

_Did he just...? "Cute"?!_

Link didn't have time to think it over; Ike dragged him by the arm towards the Smash Mansion, whistling an infectious tune. To the blonde one, it was sort of embarrassing to be dangling off some other man's arm, much less holding hands with him. A blush crept up Link's cheeks as he spotted their cupped hands. Ike's weren't as rough as they appeared.

They were actually very soft, very unusual for a person who wields swords. Especially a monstrous sword like Ragnell.

It was after dinner, and many of the battlers lingered to chat a little before retiring to their beds, but when Ike slammed open that door, Link in hand, all chatter ceased. Link stared back at all the other curious faces who dug holes into their bodies, feeling his face flush over with heat wave after heat wave. Ike, with his nonchalant attitude, ignored the sudden silence. The only noise audible was the whistling of the indigo-haired swordsman and the stomping of his steel-plated boots as he marched up stairs. Link stumbled to keep up, desperately wanting to die on the spot.

"_It should be around this last corner_... Ah! Here we are! Number twelve!"

Without letting go of Link's hand, he fumbled around in his pockets for the key. After some time, Ike found the golden key, opening the door. "Make yourself at home, Link."

The Hyrulean took in his new surroundings. There wasn't much in his room: a big bed, a lamp, a nightstand, Ragnell, a bare dresser and a closet enclosing his few outfits_. _Link sat nervously on his bed, careful not to bump into Ike's head. Ike lay sprawled on his back, staring up into the blank ceiling. "Yeah, I know there's not much in here... but I was hoping you would help me with that." Link jumped a little, "M-me?"

"_Mhm_. I like the way you have your pad set up. It gives me this, warm, inviting feeling, y'know? But, when I come in here, I just get... I don't know... depressed sometimes. My mind wanders; that's when I tend to think of... disheartening things."

Link would've very much liked to ask him what he meant by "disheartening things", but that would probably be digging too far into unwanted territory.

"Would you like to feel... _h__appier?_"

Ike sat up, smiling at his comrade, "That'd be nice. What color do you prefer?"

Link silently approached the fruitless walls, rubbing his chin as he inspected. "How about baby-blue? It'd match your eyes, and it's very soft. It's not as bold as other shades, so it's easy on the eyes and the mind doesn't get overly-stimulated. Like with the color red, for example. That was my first choice for you, but that'd be too heavy. Gives one the feeling of anger... Or it might not—_I don't know_, that's just my experience. It depends on who you are—"

The indigo-haired swordsman unexpectedly exploded in a fit of giggles. The Hyrulean—alarmed and confused—faced Ike, a puzzled expression on his face.

"What are you laughing at?"

It took him some time to regain his composure.

"...You sound like a girl."

Link reddened, becoming suddenly offended as any man would.

"A _girl?!_ And how is that?!"

"No no!" He softly grabbed the short, flustered man by the arm gently as he pulled him aside, "I'm sorry, I meant it as a joke... _It was in bad taste_. I apologize, Link."

The archer peered down, "_Yeah_, well... keep in mind that I'm a _very_ sensitive person, Ike." he whispered gently enough for his supersonic ears to pick up. There was more chuckling, which further angered and discouraged Link.

_He's laughing at me... I knew he wouldn't like "me". _

Link's head was swiftly craned up to meet two, sparkling, blue eyes.

Ike's ginger expression literally took his breath away.

"I know," he spoke, warm breath forcing Link's eye lashes to bat, "And that's what I like most about you."

Before the jittery Hyrulean could realize, Ike's long, strong arms enveloped his frame, bringing their bodies—and faces—even closer. Link tensed, his cheeks were blood-red, his heart did somersaults in his chest.

Ike grinned, amused at his friend's befuddlement. "So, my eyes are 'soft', eh?"

"Erm—_yes_," Link answered apprehensively.

"Yours are pretty soft, too, Link."

"…_Th-_Thank _you_—" Ike swooped down, slyly capturing the perfectly pursed pair of lips. They meshed in blissful, greased harmony. Link slowly closed his eyes, allowing himself to give into the kiss. His body was immobilized; he couldn't move, he couldn't speak, hell, he almost forgot how to breathe. This was unlike any spell he'd ever been casted under, or any poisonous brew that totally caused him to lose movement in his limbs. It felt... amazing.

And he was going to relish in it.

Link, whose conscious wasn't so conscious anymore, stood lightly on his toes, pressing his lips against the others with a bit more pressure. Ike faintly moaned, cupping Link's tinted cheeks as he pulled him closer. Somehow, strength found its way back into the blonde's body. That foreign feeling... that burning desire in his chest... It returned once again, but this time, _tenfold_. The shorter of the two was overwhelmed with this sudden burst of warmth and comfort... He felt so safe and secure in Ike's magnificently-supportive arms.

...Everything seemed to fall in place; Link knew what was happening, now.

It all became clear to him.

To plainly put this, he was in love.

Link ran his fingers through Ike's thick mass of indigo hair as Ike took full advantage of Link's penetrated lips, slithering his tongue into unknown, unexplored territory.

"_Maa_..."

Ike curiously mapped out the spongy, warm cavern of Link, tasting sweetness on his tongue… Link—inexperienced in the art of French kissing—relied on his instincts. He scraped his unsure organ about its partner, trying his absolute best to copy Ike's expert strokes. A very tickled Ike giggled throatily as he kissed the blonde man, most likely amused at Link's cute, innocent tongue which caused Link to flush over with another wave of heat. Either way, he caressed the tissue passionately with his own…

Without interrupting their kiss, Ike picked the small man up and spread him onto his bed, straddling and gently forcing himself upon him as his lips broke away from the Hyrulean's to meet his lovely neck. Link exposed the skin to his comrade, shivering at the tip of his icy tongue skipping across his warm epidermis… Ike soothingly caressed the blonde's lovely thighs that caged him on both sides with gentle, coaxing strokes, dainty, adorable mewls from Link escaping into the cool air of his dorm room.

The unfamiliar feeling that coursed through his veins thicker than his own blood felt unmistakably _amazing_. Link had never felt this… this _vulnerable_ in his entire life. _Was that the right word for it?_ Never in his life would he think that his first kiss would be shared with another man, much less someone like Ike…

Ike nibbled at his pointy ears—oh how he'd been yearning to do that—as he stroked his teammates strong, short legs, muttering something along the lines of, "_Such cute, little ears_…"

Link faintly moaned at the ticklish tongue teasing his appendage… It felt… _good_. Abruptly, Ike bit down on the sensitive flesh of his ear, Link yelping at a fairly high pitch. He immediately bit down on his tongue, but it was far too late. Ike stopped, stimulated by the cute sound, and met the blushing blonde's gaze, smiling warmly. He softly pecked his pouted, kiss-swollen petals; he could easily tell that Link tried to prevent his shameful whine from passing through his lips…

"_Let me hear you_," he purred, nipping sweetly at his bottom lip. Ike's shin—somehow lodged between the Hyrulean's legs—shifted a bit, Link's bright-blue eyes beginning to bulge as the action greatly took him by surprise. Sensual electricity shot through his body.

"_AH_—_!_"

Ike smiled, satisfied by this rousing cry, and lovingly locked lips with the blonde one struggling underneath, shortly departing from his swollen lips as air became mandatory. And that ended their kisses. Without warning, Ike released the blonde's body from his human cage, heedful of the fear and apprehensiveness in the his eyes. He was certain that Link had never gone with someone to that extent before, and so it was probably very nerve-wrecking to experience something like that all too soon and way too fast. Although, it was sort of a spur-of-the-moment thing.

But Ike had always had a bit of a crush on the blonde man, and for that his inner thoughts and feelings bottled up steadily, the result being a kiss-swollen Link. _But_… there was something _intriguing_ about Link. Something that he _liked_… something that made him want to get to know him better… Mentally, emotionally…

Who knows?

Maybe even physically if the future allows.

Cobalt orbs met another cobalt pair…

_What just happened…? _Link questioned himself.

But even he could answer that. It was a while before either of the two spoke up... but when one did, it was the melted, blushing Link.

"_I-Ike...?_ _Um_—" A silencing finger was put to his full lips.

"I'll answer questions later. But now... Where's the paint?! I'm itching to get started!"

* * *

_Prologue finished!_

Hot sex in the next chapter.

Heh.

Much Love,

HokageAkamaru


	2. He Mustn't Know

Title: A Lover's Brawl

Pairing(s): **IkeXLink**,** IkeXMarth**, Eventual** MarthXRoy**, Eventual** PitXLink**

Rating: M

**Full Story:** _Link has always been the quiet, shy type. That is… until Ike came into his life. Since then, Ike and Link have been an inseparable item ever since they've laid eyes on each other. Marth, coping with his broken heart after the disappearance of his very own lover—Roy—had secretly loved Ike from the beginning. But it was too late, Link was the only one on Ike's mind._

_With his seductive powers and body, he lures Ike to him, the both of them sharing many nights together. And ever since, Ike has not been able to let him—nor his delicious shape—go. Link is totally unaware of this, Ike constantly lying to him about his whereabouts to protect he and his prince's relationship. With whole-hearted trust, Link believes every single word._

_Marth wants a fully committed relationship with Ike—tired of hiding it—and he will do anything to get it, even if that means hurting one of the people that he loves the most._

_But there is one more person that complicates this plot._

_Someone who watches his crush from afar._

_(This story takes place after Super Smash Brother's Melee, the reason why Roy is "missing")_

**A/N: **My first Super Smash Brothers/BoyxBoy fanfic! -celebrates-

* * *

"_Ike_..."

Link really wasn't the vocal type, but whenever he and Ike made love, the skilled swordsman had the Hyrulean singing crescentic melodies.

Ike was _fantastic_ in bed; Link didn't mind being bottom, either. In fact, he loved it. It made him feel wanted, _treasured, safe and secure. _And another plus for being bottom: he could feel every square inch of Ike's velvety skin brush feverishly against his own. And what a wondrous feeling it was. So needless to say, Ike was obviously the dominant partner. They liked to switch up things every now and then, but Ike was, nine times out of ten—on top.

Driving Link insane.

"_Ike...!_" The intense pressure was building, a tight ball manifesting itself in the pit of the Hyrulean's stomach, threatening to burst any moment. Ike muffled his lover's rather pitchy moans with his antsy tongue as he gently kissed him, yet relentlessly thrusting into him, hitting his sweet spot over and over and over again. The submissive Link could only whither beneath Ike, wrapping his slightly toned thighs and calves tighter around the small of his back. He cried for his love to go faster, harder, to apply more pressure... Feminine squeals of bliss spilled out of the blonde man, something that definitely blemished his manhood, but that was something he could not help.

"_...Ahh_."

He was getting close. The sexual pressure was too much for the blonde to take... The overwhelming warmth surrounding their bodies like greenhouse gases... Ike's gifted tongue deliciously remapping the area of his moistened outlet... The yummy, persistent pounding into his sensitive bundle of nerves...

It was all too much.

Link strengthened his grip on the nape of his lover's neck, speaking hastily against his tongue, "_Ike… I'm gonna… come._" Hearing this, Ike smirked, his eyes glowing with tender love and anticipation. "Really, love?" The petite man nodded, losing himself in the many feelings he was experiencing. Ike sped up his luscious plunges into Link, anxiously awaiting that gorgeous "coming face". He reached between them and stroked his lover's throbbing organ in time with his movements. _"Ike…! I'm… Eeyaahh…"_

_He's almost there…_

The indigo-haired swordsman smiled, descending upon Link's right ear, grabbing hold of his sexy, silver earring with his front teeth. It never failed to drive him crazy with lust. He playfully tugged on the tangy jewelry, shortly whispering erotically after his ministrations,

_"Come for me."_

That was enough to send Link teetering over the edge.

A brief shriek of delight rung throughout the four walls—and surely many more than that—as vivid, azure eyes snapped shut. Link's entire body gorgeously arched into Ike, bringing them even closer than they already were, his essence splattered abstractly about both their torsos. Ike climaxed at the mere sight of the Hyrulean's blissful expression, grunting his name as he rode out the most powerful orgasmic waves he's felt in _weeks_.

Link descended gracefully back onto his pillow, which was no longer sweaty and hot, but crisp and refreshing. He felt that all-too-familiar feeling of being filled, warmth spreading throughout every vein, artery, and canal in his body.

_Another wonderful love-making session..._ the blonde internally thought, taking in and savoring all of the feelings Ike bestowed upon him. The room had suddenly turned chillingly cold, and all Link wanted at the moment was to be wrapped up in his loving boyfriend's arms, the blanket that was previously thrown to the floor earlier, and some sweet, sweet shut eye.

"_Tired already?_" Ike inquired slyly.

Link's eyes reduced into playful, glaring slits, "Whatever, Ike. You weren't the one getting ravished for forty-five minutes straight. Besides, it's one in the morning. We have to get up early for training tomorrow..." The blonde reached over the side of the queen bed and retrieved the lush comforter, wiping himself off in the process. Ike licked his fingers; some of Link's savory release lingered there. He sampled it, and as always, Link tasted bittersweet. It made the taller man shudder; tasting something so unique, something that came from the person he loved tremendously.

The Hyrulean blushed, "..._I told you about doing that in front of me_."

"I'm sorry, love. I couldn't resist... You just taste so _good_." Ike purred, crawling over his spent lover and suckling his ear.

"Ike, no... _I'm tired_. _Come_. Come sleep with me."

_We have to talk... but... I can't tell him tonight. Not after we've... _

_Damn._

Ike slipped into the warm threads along with his lover, softly tapping his shoulder.

"_Mm?_"

"Link... I have something to ask of you. _It's... It's really important._"

It took him a while, but Link sluggishly faced the other swordsman, his sapphire eyes riddled with sleep, fatigue, and a hint of concern. "What's wrong, Ike?" he asked, taking his mate's head into this palms. The taller man leaned into the comforting touch, sighing deeply. _He mustn't know, at least not now... I don't want to lose him. _

_Not like this._

"No matter what happens in the near future, no matter the circumstances, promise me you'll never hate me..."

Link carefully took in his words; a smile gradually appeared on his thin lips. With those lips he kissed his boyfriend as passionately as he could.

"Ike, you should know that I'd never hate you. I simply love you way too much."

"Then promise me, Link. _Promise_ me..."

The blonde-haired Hyrulean gave his mate another feather-light kiss from deep within his heart.

_These kisses... they just make it even harder on me._

"I promise. I promise I'll never hate you, no matter what idiotic mistake you make. Okay, babe?" He then playfully hit Ike's shoulder, "Now quit talking funny and get some sleep. Marth and I are going to beat you into a pulp during training..."

_Marth. _

The sound of his very name instantly covered his skin with goose bumps.

Link settled back into the thick blankets, facing the digital alarm clock. Ike nestled into the pleasant warmth, his chest lightly pressed into the shorter man's back. He blindly fished out his lover's hand beneath the sheets, entwining their fingers together. Ike kissed the shell of Link's pointed appendage, then the crook of his neck, and finally his shoulder, murmuring softly and affectionately, "I love you, Link... _I love you_."

"Love you, too..." the Hyrulean replied barely above a whisper... sleep claiming him for the rest of the illuminated night.

xXx

"Did you tell him yet?" inquired the prince, joining the pathetic-looking Ike at a small breakfast table.

Ike took a sip of his orange juice... which clashed in flavor with his freshly-brushed teeth.

"…No."

"_You were supposed to!_"

"I know, I know... But… when I returned to his dorm after my last battle, he attacked me… and instead of the talk we were supposed to have… we actually wound up… making love."

Marth nearly choked on his pancakes. He hastily swallowed before daring to say another word. "You did _what?! _I told you to _talk_ to him! Not… _fuck_ him, Ike!"

"You're acting as if I didn't know that. And I didn't plan to 'fuck' him, Marth. But… I couldn't stop there. _I couldn't tell him_…"

The prince cautiously scanned the dining hall before reaching under the curtained table. Everyone knew about Link and Ike's relationship, and Zelda would immediately report to Link if she saw something suspicious. He had to keep this as top secret as possible. Marth lovingly caressed Ike's thigh, his eyes apparently displaying sadness.

"_Ike_… I'm starting to believe that you don't love me as much as you say…"

The mercenary fell silent, flashes of that fantastic night playing through his head like an old-fashioned movie reel. Link was a very great partner. He wasn't too clingy, he_ cooked_, and he could the most adorable, little thing on this _Earth_. But—for some reason—Ike didn't feel _whole_. _Was it Link?_ Or was it him just being an ungrateful ass?

_Do I really want to do this…?_

"…Ike? _Please_, look me in the eyes…" He took Ike's chin into the palm of his hand, gently forcing Ike to look into those hurt, azure eyes. It nearly killed him to see the young prince show so much sorrow.

"_Do you love me?_"

"Marth… how could you ask something like that? You know very well that I love you—"

"—_Ike! Marth!_ Perfect, you're up!"

A certain Hyrulean dressed in his signature olive-green suit appeared from what seemed to be out of thin air, "_Hurry and eat!_ We need to get training in before the upcoming matches!"

"I'm eating as fast as I can here, Link! _Impatient as always!_" Marth cheerfully joked.

That was one thing about the prince… He could change into a totally different persona in a matter of seconds.

Link grinned at his best friend, then snuck and caught Ike's chin, sharing an intimate gaze before softly pressing their lips together, creating a wet, lash-fluttering kiss.

"_Hi_…" the blonde greeted, biting his lower lip.

Ike genuinely smiled at his lover, sneaking in another swift kiss, "Hey, sleep well?"

"You know I did…" he gave him a quick peck, "…Alright, I'll be waiting out front—"

"—Actually Link, I was just about to join you… I'm quite full…" Marth intruded, tossing Ike a venomous glance, yet a smile on his pink lips.

"But you only took a bite out of your pan—" Ike boldly pointed out.

"Oh, _don't you worry about me_, Ike. I'll be fine, really! _Let's go!_"

Link looked puzzled at Marth, then his beloved Ike, "Well, if you insist…" he muttered.

_They have not been acting themselves lately…_

* * *

Done with Chapter One~!

Hope you like how things are going so far. C:

_Review?_

Much Love,

HokageAkamaru


	3. The Heart: A Greedy Organ

Title: A Lover's Brawl

Pairing(s): **IkeXLink**,** IkeXMarth**, Eventual** MarthXRoy**, Eventual** PitXLink**

Rating: M

**Full Story:** _Link has always been the quiet, shy type. That is… until Ike came into his life. Since then, Ike and Link have been an inseparable item ever since they've laid eyes on each other. Marth, coping with his broken heart after the disappearance of his very own lover—Roy—had secretly loved Ike from the beginning. But it was too late, Link was the only one on Ike's mind._

_With his seductive powers and body, he lures Ike to him, the both of them sharing many nights together. And ever since, Ike has not been able to let him—nor his delicious shape—go. Link is totally unaware of this, Ike constantly lying to him about his whereabouts to protect he and his prince's relationship. With whole-hearted trust, Link believes every single word._

_Marth wants a fully committed relationship with Ike—tired of hiding it—and he will do anything to get it, even if that means hurting one of the people that he loves the most._

_But there is one more person that complicates this plot._

_Someone who watches his crush from afar._

_(This story takes place after Super Smash Brother's Melee, the reason why Roy is "missing")_

**A/N:** Thank you very much for all the favorites/reviews/alerts so far! . w . Your cookies as promised! -Hands each person a gigantic chocolate chip cookie- _Aww!_ I know... I'm sorry for emotionally abusing poor Link!! ;-; I love him too... but someone had to get hurt! Link just fit the mold... _GAH!_ Thank you **Panda-chan101 **for the Fire Emblem information (and Link TALKING? Thanks, but I'm going to spare my life). I've never played any of Ike's games yet, so I wasn't sure... and I was too lazy to research, so I conjured up that comical scene in my mind instead xD And I know Link's a mute (which makes him even cuter!), but he talks in my fic. I guess you all have imaginations of what Link's voice sounds like so, I guess you can go with that...

Well, looks like I've finished Chapter Two already!

Marth is a bit angsty.

Enjoy! Cx

* * *

"Alright, I believe that's enough training for one day…"

Link took off his hat, wiping the beads of sweat that gathered on his forehead with the back of his hand. Ike was getting a lot faster speed-wise, something he really needed to sharpen and polish if you'd ask him. Marth, well, hasn't truthfully excelled in much recently. He appeared to talk less, as well, which was very unusual…

What could possibly be pestering the exiled prince? Whatever it was, Link was tired of waiting for Marth to resort to him with his problem.

_We're friends… He should know he could come to me if he ever needed to talk… Maybe he prefers to talk in private. Ike's around me almost all the time, and we don't chat as much like we used to… I feel guilty for that._

He decided to take matters in his own hands.

"Ike? Could you please get Marth and I something to drink? We're quite parched," Link sweetly requested.

"Sure thing, Hun." The mercenary swathed his arms about him and quickly kissed his lips, a smile stretching across the shorter man's face.

"_Thank you_."

Link watched his boyfriend leave, waiting until he was sure Ike was out of earshot range. Marth, who was perspiring ridiculously yet trying his best to keep up his looks, sat in solitude on the nearby bench where Link usually took in the sunsets. Link sat by his best friend, patting his back consolingly.

"_Hey_…"

Marth acknowledged Link with a simple smile, "Oh, hello Link… You've been getting better with your blocks! I could barely land a punch on you!"

"Or maybe you're not trying your hardest."

The prince's cover-up smile slowly faded as he looked into his friend's serious eyes. He refocused on his hands, twiddling his thumbs.

"Marth… is everything alright? You're just… not yourself lately. Neither is Ike."

There was a rather lengthy stillness. Link chewed on the inside of his bottom lip, assuming the worst. _If Marth is this shaken up… it must be something bad._

"_Marth?_"

"…Yes?"

"Forgive me for bringing this up, but, whatever's upsetting you… Does it have something to do with Roy?"

The prince's eyes widened briefly, and Link knew he struck one of Marth's heart strings. Regardless of the sudden action, Marth jokingly slapped Link's thigh, giggling away his insecurities as best he could.

_Yeah. Something is definitely up._

"_Link!_ You know I'm totally over Roy!"

"Marth, you know better than I that it's still possible to have some lingering feelings for him—"

Marth raised a hand in defeat, the phony grin slapped off his pretty face.

_I think I went too far…_

"Link, please… Let's not talk about this…"

"Then what is it, Marth? I hate not being able to help you… I know we haven't spent much time together lately, but... I'm still your friend. You can talk to me—"

"—_It's not that easy!_"

The surprised blonde flinched at the shrieking voice.

Did Marth just, _shout_ at him? Now Link was not familiar to this sort of behavior. Marth has not once raised his voice to Link. Well... not in an angry matter, or course. But now that he has, it was a terrifying experience, and he hoped to never relive it again.

"_I'm…_ I'm sorry for yelling at you. It's just that… I…" He choked on the letter "I" for a moment or two, trying to find the right, precise words to say. Link moved in closer, desperately searching in the vast, blue eyes of his comrade for the answer.

Without warning, Marth gently slid his fingers between Link's as he sighed quite heavily, fisting his hand to bring their palms together. He placed the connected hands upon his chest. "Link… You're always so kind, no matter what. You would forgive anyone easily, and so many people take advantage of that… people… like me."

_What… What is he saying?_

Link waited until his friend spoke up again, the tension causing him to tighten the grip of their hands. "Link… you were right. As expected, you're _always_ right about most things. When Roy disappeared—" Marth paused momentarily, blinking more than usual. Link swore he heard a tiny sniffle.

"…_Marth?_"

The prince flashed a half smile, always managing to keep his poise, even if it nearly killed him, "I'm quite fine… I… I need to finish. After Roy—_disappeared_—he left my heart in the worst condition known to mankind. I'm sure you remember: the nights we spent together, me crying on your shoulder like some _baby_…"

"Yes, I remember…"

And how heart-breaking those sleepless nights were… Link waking up during the wee hours of the night to Marth's soft, never-ending wails for Roy... Back in those days, the prince was late every single day for training, and he'd appear in the very same state: Beautiful sapphire eyes rimmed with red, disheveled, greasy hair and dark circles clinging around his eyes. Usually, Marth wouldn't _dare_ go out in public looking like _that_, but when Roy abruptly upped and left without one word, nothing seemed to matter to him anymore… not even his looks. It took back rub after back rub and embrace after embrace to get Marth where he was presently. Link vowed to his broken friend he'd never cease kicking Roy's ass if he dared to return from which he came.

But he secretly hoped that he would, for Marth's sake...

"_Link_, you stood by me through all of that, and I cannot express my gratitude in mere words… but… after that incident, my heart did not know what it wanted. I knew _I_ wanted to love again, but, it just wouldn't accept anyone other than Roy. Even _you_ found love, Link, and I'm gratefully happy for you… yet, I can't help but feel... _jealous_. The heart is a very greedy organ; it makes people do _crazy_ things. And I'm sure that Ike has made you very happy…"

"…Yes. Very, very happy."

"_Indeed._ But… you must know that—"

"—Fresh lemonade straight from Peach herself! It's bound to be delicious!"

Link looked up at his lover, quickly releasing Marth's hand.

"_God_, Ike. You startled me…"

Ike lightly handed his two comrades their drinks with a smile, "I'm sorry, love. _Here._"

Link took the drink, his questioning orbs focused on Marth as he replied with, "Thanks, Ike."

"You're welcome," the mercenary replied, gracefully leaning over the bench to kiss his cheek. This severed Link's eye contact with the prince, and instead those baby-blue hues found great interest in his lover's. Link lightly kissed him back, giggling lightly as he and the tip of his lover's nose tickled the each other's.

He could feel Marth's eyes digging into his skin like daggers, he could vividly imagine the blood trickling down the skin of his cheek. Beautiful, streaming rivers of crimson…

His Highness wanted to punch him… he wanted nothing more to curse damnation upon the playboy.

And you know what? He also wondered how the _hell_ could he kiss his best friend with those same, identical lips and tongue that never failed to wish him "Goodnight"? And how he _dares to _envelope Link's sweet, little frame with the _very same_ arms that caress _him_ lovingly and with extreme care? And how does he even _live_ with himself knowing that he goes back and forth, sleeping with two men in same night?

It all made the prince sick to his stomach.

It was time for him to choose: Ike was either his, or Link's.

Prince Marth Lowell does not like to compromise, and he wasn't going to.

"—_Gah!_ Oh no!"

Marth purposely spilled his drink into his lap, muttering inaudible curse words. Link snapped his head away from his boyfriend and onto the soaked monarch, "Marth...? What happened?"

The monarch smiled, "Oh, Link! You know me, _clumsy as ever_."

Ike placed a hand on Marth's shoulder, gently squeezing, almost lovingly, "You want me to get you another one?"

And Marth stared at that sinful hand on his shoulder for a while, before coldly shrugging it off, "No thanks, I can get things myself. _I'll leave you two alone, anyway_. Because that's what you _really _want."

Link sharply inhaled, "No, Marth...! That is not true—"

"—You're lover's, right?! Lovers spend time with one another. And I'm definitely not fighting in _this_."

The Hyrulean's gaze wandered about in the prince's cerulean irises... searching for whatever under toned meaning he encrypted in his softly-spoken phrases.

"_Okay_… See you during the matches, then, Marth," Link then replied, disheartened, and tired of seeking.

With that, the prince left the bench, patting Link's shoulder. His gander glided to Ike, his piercing, demonic eyes slicing past the marrow of his bones and down into his tormented soul. Lastly, Marth smiled and waved, strutting towards the mansion. Ike gulped; Marth could be very intimidating when he wanted to be. He figured it would hurt Link if Marth confessed, but he's the one who's been lying to him from days on end. He was man enough to tell him what was going on, but he didn't want to let go. Especially not now. Never could he recall such a time where he felt such extreme happiness.

The mercenary took Marth's previous seat, wrapping an arm about the bench's head post, pulling Link closer to him. Link settled his head underneath his lover's chin, resting his ear onto Ike's chest.

_His heartbeat… it never ceases to calm me._

"You okay?" the indigo-haired individual inquired, praying over and over that the prince told him nothing about their secret "liaison". Link took a sip of his lemonade prior to answering, and he almost choked to death at the thick amount of sugar Peach added to the sweet refreshment. The Hyrulean set it down, not so thirsty anymore.

"I'm fine, it's just… I'm worried about Marth… and _you_."

Link coiled his arms about Ike's waist, engulfed by the delicious warmth radiating off his lover's body. He peered up into Ike's pupils, softly stroking his cheek. Ike felt an unsettling feeling in his stomach. It felt odd staring into such honest, open eyes, knowing that in your very own you hid lies from the person who trusted you most.

"Marth... He is... is not himself. I think he feels as if I am... neglecting him. But I'm not! _I love him_..."

The taller of the two could only, simply scratch his head... "As long as you're doing the best you can for him, then that's all you can do, right?"

Link nodded, "...Yeah. I guess so. I just wish I knew what is bothering him."

Ike knew. Oh yes he did.

Moments passed, Link finding himself in a state of contentment whilst listening to the beats of his lover's heart. But another thought conjured up in his head.

"_Ike_… Remember when we promised we would never keep secrets from each other? Well… Call me paranoid, but, I just can't shrug off the feeling that you're hiding something from me. That… both of you are."

"Link… I…"

The shorter of the two crawled into his partner's lap, facing him, and cradling his head in his warm hands. Their noses kissed, though their lips did not, slightly brushing against each other. Link's observing eyes dug deep into Ike's. Ike felt like he was staring directly into his soul; that's how powerful those intimidating, azures were.

"…Don't lie to me, okay? I cannot stand liars; there is no place in the world for them."

"…O-Okay."

"_Are you hiding anything from me, Ike?_"

Ike had to hold it together. It was not the time nor was it the place to answer that question, at least that's how he saw it. Whenhe finally confessed his falters—whenever that will be—he wanted it to be quick, easy and painless, but he's afraid it's not going to work out the way he had hoped. Ike _loved_ Link, with all of his heart, but he also loved Marth. He was just… an _intoxicating_ person; someone who grows on you. Something about him weakened Ike's good judgment, and he made it improbable for him to keep his hands off of that lovely body.

But Ike knew he couldn't have it both ways.

Ike conjured up the boldest, expressionless mask he could create, preparing to lie to his love for the umpteenth time.

"_Link_…" he brought his hands up to the Hyrulean's hips, performing a small, circular motion, "I'm not hiding _anything_ from you… I love you, babe."

Link, tempted to easily give into Ike's charm and bury his lips into his, carefully studied Ike's cerulean pupils all the way down to his retina.

Honestly, Ike thought he was going to shit his pants.

_You had better not be lying to me._

Slowly but surely, a smile etched its way onto the blonde's full lips, "_And_ _I love you_, _too_."

Ike grinned, stretching his neck to capture those perfect lips.

_I'm never going to forgive myself for this._

"_See...?_ There's nothing to worry about...!"

"But Marth. I have to talk to him—" Link began.

"_Oh n__o no no_… _I'll _talk to Marth. Besides, the matches are about to begin!"

Link looked over to his right. Ike was correct: the other Smashers were gathered around the stadium, anxiously waiting to fight against their competitors.

"_Thank you_, Ike—_Hey!_"

The taller man dunked Link's hat onto his head, covering his eyes, nose, but his lips remained exposed. Link giggled, Ike watching for his entertainment as the ever-flustered Hyrulean tried his best to yank his hat off. It was pretty snug around his head.

"_Ha_, looks like ya can't even get it over that big head of yours, Link!"

"_Argh!_ Ike, you insensitive _jerk!_" Link shouted, unable to free his head of the leeching hat.

"I was just teasin', babe... _Here_."

With one gentle pull, the hat came off with a _pop_. The blonde's hair stuck out in any which way, his face flushed with pink from heat and surprise. Ike placed the green cap on top of his head _properly _this time, grinning widely as he did so. Link assisted him, realizing he was suddenly close to those wonderfully-cushioned lips of his mate's. He gawked over them, Ike noticing his strange absent-mindedness, but knowing exactly what he wanted.

He beamed at the Hyrulean, gripping the nape of his neck, "_C'mere_…"

Link met his boyfriend's lips in a tender kiss, his body deliciously pressed upon him. It never seemed to get old to him, kissing Ike… He totally skipped the foreplay, bravely thrusting his shy, little tongue inside of Ike's greedy mouth. This surprised the indigo haired man; usually it was he who patiently knocked at Link's lips. Ike grinned affectionately into the hot cavern, lashing his tongue against his mate's with extreme care.

"_Eww!_ That's gross!" cried two small voices what seemed to have come from out in the distance. Link quickly removed his lips from Ike's, peering his shoulder to find their privacy intruders. Ness and Toon Link immaturely made kissy faces at the two, giggling and hopping over to the vast crowd of contestants.

The two of them laughed as well, Ike a bit angry that his scrumptious lip lock was short-lived. Horns sounded throughout the mansion, the first battlers being called forth. "The matches are starting… Should I go get Marth?"

"_No!_ You go on ahead, I'll fetch him."

Link curled his lips into a smile, hopping out of Ike's lap and pecking him lightly on the brow.

"Alright... _See you_."

Link started off running.

"_Yeah... see you,_" Ike whispered intentionally and totally to himself. He heavily exhaled as if an elephant were sitting on his chest, closing his eyes in disappointment and hatred... for himself.

_Look what you've gotten yourself into, you dumbass._

* * *

He's just now figuring that out? Oh well... Review time! 8D

**subaru-kun:** Yes... I personally like IkeXMarth fics too! I'm such a bad person, putting Link in the midst of all this... TT TT

**Sachiko V:** Thank you very much! I wanted to try something different, so what's better than an IkeXLink fanfic? I know, it's horrible what I'm doing to poor Link, God knows he wouldn't hurt a fly... And what would a love story be without any angst?

**Midnight Crystal Sage:** _Same here! _I'm so glad you like it! Cx

**Panda-chan101: **Thanks once again for the enlightenment! Yeah, Ike is confused. He just doesn't know what he wants in this point in time. I'm sure we've all been there.

**The Mad Joker:** My first reviewer! Now you guys are going to make me feel bad! I won't put him under so much pressure for too long! I mean, Ike and Marth can't keep their love affair hidden forever, ho ho. - w -

Thank you to all of my reviewers! The third chapter is already planned! I just have to write it down on paper and then type it up! I'll work on it shortly, but until then, tell me what you think x3

Much Love,

HokageAkamaru


	4. Wrapped Around My Finger

Title: A Lover's Brawl

Pairing(s): **IkeXLink**,** IkeXMarth**, Eventual** MarthXRoy**, Eventual** PitXLink**

Rating: M

**Full Story:** _Link has always been the quiet, shy type. That is… until Ike came into his life. Since then, Ike and Link have been an inseparable item ever since they've laid eyes on each other. Marth, coping with his broken heart after the disappearance of his very own lover—Roy—had secretly loved Ike from the beginning. But it was too late, Link was the only one on Ike's mind._

_With his seductive powers and body, he lures Ike to him, the both of them sharing many nights together. And ever since, Ike has not been able to let him—nor his delicious shape—go. Link is totally unaware of this, Ike constantly lying to him about his whereabouts to protect he and his prince's relationship. With whole-hearted trust, Link believes every single word._

_Marth wants a fully committed relationship with Ike—tired of hiding it—and he will do anything to get it, even if that means hurting one of the people that he loves the most._

_But there is one more person that complicates this plot._

_Someone who watches his crush from afar._

_(This story takes place after Super Smash Brother's Melee, the reason why Roy is "missing")_

**A/N: **GOMEN! I'm so sorry for the shortness/possible boring-ness of this chapter... The part I was going to write after this didn't seem like it would fit as easily (You: "What?") so I'm going to type Chapter Four up some time later...

Enjoy Chapter Three.

* * *

Even if Marth had only gotten his trousers wet, he decided to take a full-fledged shower. The confusing situation he caught himself in stressed him greatly. It seemed like the only thing that could relax him was a warm, soft water shower.

Marth allowed the fresh, falling droplets to cascade down his tired face.

_Ike… That two-timing bastard._

He reached out of the tub, randomly retrieving one of his treasured shampoo bottles that lingered on the bathroom counter. "_Peach Mango Melody_" the tangy container read. He put it back, fishing blindly for another. Marth's eager hands gripped another bottle, reading the text, which was red and green.

"_Strawberry Kiwi Frenzy_".

He smiled to himself.

It was definitely a "Strawberry Kiwi" kind of day.

Marth popped the top, poured a more than needed amount of the pink, syrupy substance into his palm and ran a hand over his drenched, cobalt hair.

The prince lathered it in well, letting the electrifying scent of strawberries and kiwis embrace him. The very aroma made him shiver with pleasure. Ike was right: It was an orgasm for the senses and he personally _loved_ the shampoo.

Whenever he would take time out of his day—and make up some bold excuse to ditch Link for the afternoon—he would always seem to comment on the exhilarating fragrance wafting from his hair.

Marth loved those afternoons, and he also hated them.

After an "enjoyable" bubble bath, he and Ike would slip on a plain tee with a pair of lazy, "snuggy" shorts and nestle closely with one another in the ever-comfortable spooning position. The intimate warmth they equally distributed never failed to lull the prince gently into dreamland…

A pleasant feeling it was, napping soundly on the person you loved… Especially after taking a nice, warm bath; the prince's skin always got extra velvety afterwards. But, Marth hated waking up.

After waking from each private spooning session, Ike was _nowhere_ to be found. Sometimes Marth's slumbers were so ludicrously pleasant that Ike seemed to be only but a dream… He was there holding him, humming in his ears for one minute, and the next he found himself tightly tucked away in his bed, the indigo-haired swordsman nowhere to be found.

Was he such a heavy sleeper that he didn't even notice his "pretend" lover putting him to bed?

He occasionally questioned where Ike disappeared off to, but he would mentally slap himself.

He knew exactly where that man was, and where he rather would be.

Somewhere all tangled up in Link's slim legs.

Marth groaned at the lonesome memories, rinsing the overgrown suds…

It was truly hard to find peace these days.

"Marth… you in there?"

The prince jumped, greatly startled, peeking his head through the ruby shower curtains.

_Is that Ike?_

"Marth, open up."

"You just hold your horses!"

Marth pulled a towel off of a nearby rack, enveloping himself in the feather-like linen. He waltzed over to the door, inhaled till it hurt, and turned the bronze knob. And for sure, there was that handsome devil, standing as tall as a fir tree.

"_What?_" The prince asked, making sure he sounded clearly annoyed at his sudden presence as he tried to mask his excitement. Which was odd. He was downright angry with Ike, wasn't he?

Ike simply laughed, pointing at his head.

"_Heh_, you have suds in your hair…"

"_Oh_, thanks a lot, _Captain Obvious_. As you can probably tell I was taking a very nice shower, but _someone_ couldn't wait until I was at least finished rinsing the shampoo out of my hair! _Now_, what is it that you want? I don't exactly wish to see you right now."

Ike rolled his eyes, gripping his chin and sweeping him up into a sweet, apologetic kiss, "_I'm sorry_."

"Yeah? Well 'sorry' is not going to cut it."

"Then what do you want me to do...?! I'm tryin', okay?!"

"Apparently you're not _trying_ hard enough!"

Ike folded his strong arms, muttering with bitterness, "_You're unbelievable._ Link wanted to come and get you since the matches have started, but I came instead. _May I come in? _We can finish this talk later."

Marth bit his lower lip, debating whether he should or shouldn't, but as always he submitted into the underlying love buried beneath his icy heart. He widened the door, taking a few paces back.

"_Thank you_."

There was no "You're Welcome".

Ike took a seat on the side of the plush bed. He watched Marth mosey on over to his closet which concealed his multicolored uniforms.

"_My God_, _when are they going to get my rail lowered?! I'm not some freaking giant_…" Marth complained to his invisible audience as he stood on his tip toes, reaching for one of his many wardrobes.

The indigo-haired individual just simply glanced around, his vision hopping from place to place. That is, until he found interest in lazily watching the suds in the prince's hair that he poked fun of trickle down the nape of the prince's neck, but then… the foam didn't interest him anymore.

His aquamarine eyes caught something much more... exciting.

Ike's observant orbs absorbed the rather erotic sight of Marth's glistening, flawless ivory skin, biting his trembling, antsy bottom lip. What he would give to taste that rich, vanilla skin at the moment…

The prince smirked to himself; he knew exactly what he was doing, and he'd do anything to see Ike's priceless expression. Marth could practically feel Ike's wandering eyes dancing across his back.

"_Maybe I should wear white, but those nasty stains I get are so hard to wash out_… _If I could only reach it…!_" he labored silently, purposely slacking the grasp he had on his towel, exposing more and more of his dripping wet back inch by inch. It just barely draped over the small of his back… Ike's mouth gaped slightly, and he wasn't really sure if he was drooling or not. Over and over did his famished eyes caress the new layer of delicious skin… It took all of his will power and then some not to tackle the young prince and pound the pride and dignity out of him, but when he was nearing his wits end, Marth finally caught his outfit with a single, desperate jump.

"_Ah_, there we are… _Well_, I'll be out in a bit."

"—_What...?_ _Oh!_ Okay. I'll uh… wait here."

With an unseen, devilish grin, Marth walked back into the bathroom, feeling totally in control.

He was snapping the reigns now.

* * *

I love writing a scary Marth xD He seems like such a nice guy though...

Review time!! Cx

**Midnight Crystal Sage:** _NYAAAH!_ Thank you! I beat myself up alot because I think my writing is total trash... but so many people tell me that I'm amazing (totally not boasting here)... I don't get it D:

**Panda-chan101: **Gomen... I thought my grammar was exceptional, but I realize that's something I need to work on! xD Yeah, Ike is being a playboy; I'm surprised he hasn't gotten caught yet. But Link trusts him alot, maybe that's why he gets away... He'll get straightened out soon enough, though!

**Sachiko V:** GAH! Sometimes when I'm writing this, I think, "_WHY! WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO POOR LINK?! HE'S SO SWEET AND CUTE AND LOVEABLE?! YOU HEARTLESS PERSON_!" He's totally blind; Poor Link has no idea what Ike and Marth is doing behind his back... And like you said, he's so very kind to them both. Ike feels bad about that, too, if I didn't make it obvious enough. Marth, well, he's a bit _selfish. _He'll get what he wants even if it means to ruin his friendship... 'Tis sad.

**The Mad Joker:** I make Link out to be a bit naive. Even though he's a playboy, I can't help to pity him, too. He's fallen in love with two people... and he's being nagged everyday (by Marth) to pick one. I guess Marth doesn't mind letting a boy come between them which is like, the number one rule you don't break if you're best friends.

**Rayestar Ikina: **-GASP- _A NEW REVIEWER!_ -gives Rayestar a cookie- Thanks for the grammatical tips! It's a bad habit of mine... But habits can be broken, ya just gotta have patience!

Thank you for all your kind reviews! In Chapter Four, Link gets a bit bold with his actions at night... - w -

Review, ne?

Much Love,

HokageAkamaru


	5. Surprise!

Title: A Lover's Brawl

Pairing(s): **IkeXLink**,** IkeXMarth**, Eventual** MarthXRoy**, Eventual** PitXLink**

Rating: M

**Full Story:** _Link has always been the quiet, shy type. That is… until Ike came into his life. Since then, Ike and Link have been an inseparable item ever since they've laid eyes on each other. Marth, coping with his broken heart after the disappearance of his very own lover—Roy—had secretly loved Ike from the beginning. But it was too late, Link was the only one on Ike's mind._

_With his seductive powers and body, he lures Ike to him, the both of them sharing many nights together. And ever since, Ike has not been able to let him—nor his delicious shape—go. Link is totally unaware of this, Ike constantly lying to him about his whereabouts to protect he and his prince's relationship. With whole-hearted trust, Link believes every single word._

_Marth wants a fully committed relationship with Ike—tired of hiding it—and he will do anything to get it, even if that means hurting one of the people that he loves the most._

_But there is one more person that complicates this plot._

_Someone who watches his crush from afar._

_(This story takes place after Super Smash Brother's Melee, the reason why Roy is "missing")_

**A/N: **Figured I left you waiting long enough. I've been racking my brain day and night to create this chapter, SO YOU BETTER ENJOY IT. I just bought two of my _beloved_ yaoi books from my favorite series and I want to read them so bad, but I also want to finish writing this. PLUS I DEPRIVED MYSELF OF SLEEP (mostly because Ike's been haunting my dreams at night... _"LINK'S GONNA MOLEST ME, RIGHT?! OR IS HE GONNA RAPE ME WHILE I'M SLEEPING?!_") I know you'll enjoy it though, hey, Link's a bit aggressive here.

- w -

MY IKEXMARTH AND MARTHXROY FANS, _HANG IN THERE!_ There will be more dirty "behind the scene" chapters, and Roy will soon make his grand appearance as well... So stay tuned! But until then, you're stuck with **IkeXLink**ness

Which isn't that bad, is it?

Oh, and this has a battle scene in it, too, which adds to the many things I'm horrible at.

* * *

Well, enjoy!

Marth poked his head through the door of his dorm, searching the usually packed hallways for any remaining Smashers.

"Alright," the prince stepped out, fixing his the ruffles in his hair and his tilted tiara, "No one's in the halls. They're probably all at the Stadium like _we_ should have been _five minutes ago!_"

Ike shut the door behind him, flattening the many wrinkles in his very own uniform.

"Oh please, Marth. _You weren't complaining when I had you up against the wall, your legs desperately clinging to me as if you were going to die if you let go_, which was—dare I say—approximately five minutes ago?"

Marth folded his arms, rolling his sapphires into the back of his head. But gradually, a little smile appeared on the adorable, pouted lips as those same sapphires sparkled at the other cocky swordsman.

"_You ass_…" he muttered, lightly hitting his shoulder.

"_And you love it_…"

The prince giggled, hopping on his tippy toes. He flung his arms out behind his back and landed a sugary-sweet smooch upon Ike's pink, inflated lips.

"_Mwah_, and I love you. Now let's go before anyone gets suspicious. After all, it is still _your_ fault that we're late."

"Yeah, _whatever_…"

Ike watched the seductive royal strut through the main hall, spotting his slim hips swaying from side to side underneath the billowing cape. He shortly followed behind him, now finding it extremely hard to keep his hands to himself, but his eyes had no problems keeping themselves glued to that ass.

xXx

"Marth! Ike! _There you are!_ I was beginning to think you two had gotten lost."

Ike patted his boyfriend on the shoulder, "Well, Prince Charming here had to take a whole 'nother shower."

"I got a bit… _distracted_ as well," commented Marth, lightly licking his lips as he stole glances from Ike. Luckily the Hyrulean did not catch his friend's lusty gaze upon his mate. Instead, the azure eyes focused on the big screen whose names read, "_Bowser, Ness, Yoshi and Lucario_".

The two found a comfy seat on the lush, green grass outside the massive arena, waiting patiently for their turns. Marth protested sitting on the earth... He was afraid of the nasty, grass stains that threatened to stain his snowy white uniform, so he stood instead.

"Neither of you nor I have gotten summoned to fight at the moment… but the match between those four is almost over. One of us is likely bound to get called," Link explained, slyly slipping his fingers between Ike's.

Ike immediately noticed the sudden action, glancing over to the Hyrulean who lightly blushed and lowered his head. He genuinely smiled at the blonde's simple ways of showing his bottomless pit of love and affection… As he gingerly laced their fingers together on the gentle, prickly grass, Ike leaned over and kissed the creamy skin on Link's prominent cheek, murmuring sweetly, "_I love you_, _baby_…" Link flushed over shade after shade, softly smiling on the outside, but internally, he was as giddy can be. This was all so new to him...

"_I love you_, _too_…"

Link returned the kiss, placing his full lips cannily upon Ike's. It was kisses like these that reminded Ike how he fell in love with the simple blonde. His lips… Yes—Link's perfectly soft coral petals sent the taller man's mind whirling in pure ecstasy. It almost scared him to taste something so… _innocent_. No matter how many times they'd made love, it would appear that Link still maintained his pureness, his chastity… In bed, it was like making love to the same timid, confused, obedient Link. But Ike didn't mind that. Not in the least bit.

Prince Marth couldn't help but notice the sounds of tongue-slashing, saccharine kisses and the linked hands from above, glaring once again—pointblank—at Ike.

_It hasn't even been a minute yet since our little "frenzy", and look at him… _

_This man disgusts me, though... I still love him. _

_I love everything about him. _

_His eyes, his lips, those smart-ass jokes… _

_The way he holds me, fucks me, even... the way he whispers in my ear._

_I'm addicted to this man, and no matter what I do… I can't let him go. I love him… And he said he loved me, but every time I see them kiss… every time I see their intertwined hands… I question all those times when he said he "loved" me whether those were just mere, ineffective words to let him have his way with me… _

_Now that I think of it… what if he's just using me? What if I'm like some—royal fuck toy to him? _

_What exactly am I to him?! I'm not his boyfriend! I'm definitely more than a friend! _

Marth slowly glanced over to the couple beside him, now finding Link somehow in Ike's lap, beginning to fall asleep. He blinked, surprised to find a salty tear plop onto his ruby red brooch. The prince hadn't shed a tear, not since Roy had left… And crying over something as fixable as this? It was definitely not needed. Marth would have Ike… Was it selfish of him? Yes, but the prince always got what he wanted, regardless of who it affected.

_No… I know what I am to him. I know exactly what I am…_

_I'm his lover, also._

He simpered, smiling contently to himself.

_Or, at least, I will be. _

"_D'a__ww_, isn't that just simply heart-melting?" uttered an overly-sweet voice. Marth suddenly found himself covered in shade. He looked to his right, and there was the ever-so-kind princess of the Mushroom Kingdom accompanied by her close friend Zelda.

The three royalties all huddled up underneath Peach's cramped parasol, gazing at the heart-warming sight of Ike cradling the napping Link in his arms. He fooled about with the blonde strands of hair that was not protected by the green cap, caressing the baby-soft skin of his rosy cheek. It was—almost— enough to even make Ganondorf's steel heart melt.

"Aren't they just adorable? My heart gets all warm and fuzzy when I see them together! _I'm so happy for Link_… such a sweet man, he is," said the Mushroom princess, twirling the cane of her frilly umbrella.

Zelda smiled upon the couple in pure approval.

"Yes… Link is oh-so very kind to each and every one of us. He deserves someone who can give it all back to him in return. I'm very glad Ike came about, he's changed Link's life in a way…"

The pink-clothed one gasped.

"Remember how Link used to be all shy?! He wouldn't talk to anyone actually… only to you Marth."

The prince tore his eyes away from the pair as he was abruptly dragged into the mindless conversation.

"Oh… Yes, Link was _very_ shy." He nodded, consciously fixing his even bangs.

Zelda tapped her chin with a pale finger, "But ever since Ike came about, he's slowly crept out of his comfort zone… _I watched him blossom before my eyes_. The next thing I knew, he came rushing to me telling me that he and Ike became an official item. Of course, I already knew they were approaching that title. The way he'd look at Ike… Link would just sit there, _staring_ at him, unconscious of where he was or what he was currently doing... He's always been so transparent, but that seems to suit him very well… Don't you think?"

Peach giggled as she elegantly clapped her hands.

"Link would make _anyone_ want to eat him up! He just seems so needy, and Ike is so giving… _They're a perfect match!_ I can remember teasing him about how he followed Ike around like a little duckling. He'd blush and get all defensive. He's a sensitive soul…"

"Heh, '_Ike is so giving_…'. _You got that right_..." Marth murmured privately to himself.

"Did you say something, Marth?" Zelda politely asked.

"_Hmm?_"

"_The winner is…_ _Ness!_"

The audience exploded in a triumphant roar. All heads turned to the monstrous screen reigning above them. There the young, psychic boy was, performing his usual nodding taunt. Lucario, Bowser and Yoshi clapped, and eventually exited the stage.

"_Team Battle!_ Will our next contestants please step forth: Red Team: Link and Ike! Blue Team: Marth and Pikachu! Please report to the center of the stadium!" announced the omniscient voice.

Ike's head craned up at the call of his name. He slightly nudged the dormant Link, pecking his forehead.

"_Babe_, _wake up… It's our turn now. C'mon… up, up, up_…" Ike made his voice as soft as possible. Link stirred a bit, an adorable mewl escaping the parted lips. He peeled open his droopy eyelids, rubbing the embedded sleep out of the corners.

Ike grinned.

_He looks just like a child…_

"Sorry… I think I got up too early for training… You said we got called?"

Ike helped his boyfriend get up on his feet. Link wobbled a bit, but rapidly regained his sturdiness.

"_Yep!_ We best head on up there! And it's alright, love… _I enjoy holding you_."

Link reddened, biting his lip as he curled them.

"Hey, you two! _Let's go!_" shouted the impatient prince, sprinting towards the metallic, mammoth-sized arena. After a quick glance, the couple followed right behind him.

xXx

Ike and Link stood on one end of the stage, Marth and Pikachu on the opposite. Marth looked down, eye twitching, horrified at the bubbly, yellow mouse. Pikachu gazed back up at him, his eyes apparently glittering with admiration.

_Oh great, I have to fight alongside this thing? _

Marth's orbs landed on Ike, who seemed to be discussing something… a plan, perhaps?

_Out of all the players he just happened to get Link…_

"I'm not going to go easy on you, Marth!" shouted the Hyrulean, unsheathing the Master Sword from its case. The prince genuinely smiled at his friend.

"Right back at ya, Link!"

Ike tapped his boyfriend's shoulder, instantly clutching his undivided attention. "You go for Marth, I'll handle the yellow thing."

"_Okay_, but be careful… He's not as friendly as he may give off…"

"_Team Battle!_ Ike and Link versus Marth and Pikachu! Ready? _Three, Two, One_… _GO!_"

Link leaped into the air, giving Ike just enough space to rush forth for the electric Pokémon.

With a flip, Link landed before the monarch, blocking the expected blow to his head with his sword. He peered up at Marth, smirking, "Nice one, Marth… But you're going to have to do much better than that."

Link temporarily shifted all of his weight onto one arm as he pushed his body off ground, carefully balancing his weight. He swept his legs under the prince's, knocking him off his feet, but he didn't fall. Marth performed numerous flips, creating a rather large distance between them, and finally propped himself back onto his two feet. He raised his sword to the oceanic blue sky, the crowd growing wilder by the minute.

"Why Link, I'm just getting started…"

At a blinding speed, Marth headed for Link, his sword at a dangerous angle. Link wasn't sure where his friend was going to strike from. He ducked behind his shield, the confused eyes swishing back and forth at the invisible Marth in the center, the one on the right and left. It seemed scientifically _impossible_ for someone to be that fast…

_Damn… I have no idea which point he's going to attack from… _

Ike had Pikachu by the arm, but quickly released him as the Pokémon sent jolting waves of dangerous electricity coursing agonizingly through his body.

"_Pika Pikaaa_!" (1)

He was sent flying, and the adorable yellow mouse performed his taunt, waving to the buck-wild crowd.

Ike wasn't done just yet.

"_AETHER!_"

Pikachu was swept up with Ragnell, inflicting tons of damage, and shot fiercely back onto the hard floor, hurling him many a feet into the air.

_Who's tauntin' now?_

Ike looked over his shoulder, seeing how Link was holding up with the prince. He immediately noticed the move he was going to surprise Link with, and with wounds to prove it, he knew exactly what to do.

"_Babe!_ Close your eyes and listen closely! You'll only get confused if you watch and try to calculate where he's going to attack you from!"

_He's right…_

The Hyrulean gently shut his eyes, disconnecting all of his other senses, and tuning into his strong sense of hearing. Noises of the high maintenance audience filled his sensitive ears, but with the help of selective hearing, he eliminated the racket. Pikachu was also stirring up a lot of noise, and Ike spat obscenities to the Pokémon slap after slap.

_Marth, where the hell are you…?!_

Link grew impatient by the agonizing second, until he heard something wiz softly by his ear…

…_There!_

Link did a complete one-eighty, thrusting his shield over his head. Sure enough, there was Marth, who took advantage of Link's blind spot and decided to attack from behind.

"Smart move, Link. If Ike wasn't here to help you, you probably would've been toast."

Link struggled as Marth provided crushing pressure, trying to bring down the handy, blocking device.

"Heh, I most likely would have been… _Marth_, shouldn't you be helping your little friend over there? I mean, _look at him_, he's helpless…"

"Oh ho, you're not going to get rid of me that easily! I'd turn my head and you'd attack me. How simple can you get, Link?! Besides, I hate that little... yellow… _whatever it is!_"

"Well, it was worth a try..."

"_PIIIIKAAAAAA!_"

Pikachu was forcefully once more thrown far into the blue sky, Ike licking the small, open cut he received in return. The fans "Aww"ed for the small Pokémon... he was a crowd favorite.

"_That'd teach you to taunt when I'm_—" Ike started...

...But Pikachu wasn't going to go without a fight. Before he appeared off screen, he summoned a giant thunderbolt, one that temporarily darkened the sky. Ike looked from the Pokémon, and then to his lover, who was smack-dab in the path of it.

Marth inwardly snickered to himself. _Heh, maybe this little yellow thing is useful after all._

Link—in pure haste—tried his best to get out of the bolt's way, but Marth had him by his green tunic. And no, he wouldn't let go.

"Sorry, Link, no hard feelings... _Right?_"

The blonde was instantly struck with over tens of thousands of volts surging through his body. It was like finally releasing a pent-up orgasm, but the pressure ten times intensified. There are some incidents when you could pass out if the climax is too extreme, and in Link's case, he was knocked out cold. Ike hurried over to his electrocuted lover, cradling him in his arms as he violently shook him.

"Link? _Link?!_ Wake up! _Wake up!_"

"_Red Team's Link is unable to fight! No contest!_"

The crowd booed.

Pikachu ran over to the victim of his lightning bolt, tears in his bubbly eyes…

"_Pikaaa_..." He hugged the blonde, probably apologizing.

"Yeah, _you see that?_ My boyfriend's fucking _unconscious_ because of your ass! Just get away from him! _GO!_"

"_Pika_—"

"_I SAID GO, DAMMIT!_"

Pikachu was startled at Ike's booming base, cowering behind Marth's leg. "_Aww_, it's okay little guy... He's just a little crabby, that's all."

"You... _shut up._ It's your fault, _too!_"

Marth was taken aback; Ike had never cursed at him before in such a manner.

"I didn't mean... We were... It was a battle—"

"_To hell!_ You're just jealous of him. _You've always been jealous of him! _You can't have me, so you hurt Link instead, huh?!"

"Ike, _honey_..."

"_You can't have everything, Marth!_"

Marth—tears foaming in his eyes—started down the stairs. It took all of his strength not to slap him. And he spun off, turning on his heel, huffing and puffing.

"…_Ike?_"

_Link?_

He peered down, and Link was rubbing his temple in all of his conscious glory.

xXx

"..._Ahh_."

Link flinched. Another sting.

Link stood in front of the mirror, dabbing the deep cut that highlighted his neck with a cotton ball dabbed in alcohol. It hurt—like hell—but he had to clean it somehow. Marth got him good, but honestly, he wasn't expecting to get struck by a lightning bolt. He didn't take anything personally, though. After all, it was a battle. And in battles, friendship is something that must be quickly forgotten.

"_Liiiiiink, C'moooooon_..." Ike whined, "You spend more time in the mirror than Marth..."

"I'm coming, I'm coming," he called back, wiping up the last bits of dried blood with the cotton ball. He'd be sound asleep soon, and Link was not going to have that. For quite some time now he'd been planning a special night for them both... It was late in the evening, twenty minutes after dinner, actually. All the Smashers were heading for bed after a stressful day of countless battles. He and Ike shared an intimate, gourmet dinner—prepared by the Hyrulean himself—in Link's dorm instead of the usual cafe, complete with appetizers, the main course, and a delicious chocolate-mint cake for dessert. But Ike didn't use his fork. He tongued it out of the blonde's mouth, which totally turned Link on.

But of course, someone of his intelligence wouldn't admit something like that.

Ike, who felt he would burst if he ate another bite, currently lay sprawled on Link's bed, feeling like a total slob. Link warned him not to indulge more than his stomach would allow, but his pathetic excuse was he didn't want the food to go to waste.

Now he's paying for it.

After Link tidied up his work area, he slipped back on his fitting, green tee and joined his mate, who was now sitting with his back against the bed post, playing with Link's stuffed teddy bear.

"There you are. Damn, thought you were going to stay in there forever..."

Link appealingly crawled onto the bed—not one sound protested against the sudden weight being added—holding the intimate contact he held with Ike's hazy eyes. To Ike, he innocent Link seemed to have been replaced by this... intimidating, sexy replica creeping up to his lips... The dark, azure pupils were clearly intent on one thing and one thing only.

Link gripped Ike's chin with a gentle hand, enclosing the space between them. He ran the very tip of his tongue along the slightly chapped crease of Ike's lips, then covering it with a beyond juicy kiss.

"_I'm here now_... and that's all that matters."

Ike—confused yet excited all at once—watched his totally out-of-character boyfriend create a slow, dry trail of kisses. Link started from his lips and then diligently worked his way down Ike's neck, also taking a pit stop at his protruding Adam's apple. It didn't take him long to reach his earlobe... His teeth grazed the sensitive flesh, a hand softly raking through the incredibly soft locks.

_What_ _the—?_

The blonde flicked his tongue over the shell of Ike's ear... a weak spot his, and secretly, Link thought it tasted delicious. Sweet, to be exact. He bit down sharply into the flesh with his canines, Ike gasping in both pleasure and pain. Link smiled sweetly, kissing the little love bite he created.

"_There_... all better," he whispered nuzzling his entire face into the crook of Ike's shoulder. Link ghosted his teasing lips over the tanned skin, blowing lightly against it.

"_Ike?_"

"...Huh?"

The archer's full petals brushed lightly about his ear, "_Lay down for me?_"

It was more of a command than a request, and he gladly accepted, his eyes closely monitoring this sexual dare devil. Ike obediently lowered his body, and by the expression Link was giving him, he wondered what he'd do if he did not comply. His head was cushioned by one of the many plump pillows; Link caged his boyfriend between him and the bed, linking their fingers together as he placed Ike's arms right above his head. The Hyrulean spread his frame onto his lover's like someone would spread a heavy amount of butter onto a slice of hot, crispy toast. Of course Link melted perfectly upon him, and the sudden contact was simply delicious. Ike couldn't even sum the overwhelming feeling into words. No verb, adjective, noun...

Nothing would truly express how he felt at the moment.

Their faces met, Link carefully studying his mate's inquiring orbs, clouded with heavy lust. Ike used this intimate stare to his advantage, searching for any remnants of the timid, sensitive Link... None could be found. How could he switch personas in a matter of minutes? Link devilishly slid his knee between Ike's long legs, creating delicious friction as he soothed his cock underneath the thin fabric of his boxer shorts. He instantaneously arched into the touch, yearning nothing more than to come in contact with that heavenly shin.

"Link... _Do that again_…"

Link giggled, descending upon the open lips, continuing his persistent nudges to Ike's straining groin. He didn't even bother to silence Ike, it was rather rare and erotic to hear the masculine beauty moan and beg, so he savored this moment. On a regular basis, that was Link's job: to be vulnerable... to plead pridelessly. But now Ike needed him... Ike was begging... Ike was the vulnerable one. And for once, Link got a little taste of what dominating was like…

…and it tasteddamn good.

Link added more pressure, almost ramming his knee into his panting boyfriend's organ, gazing intensely into those glossy eyes with pure lust and entertainment. The groans just got longer and more strained, and Ike looked completely helpless.

The amused blonde stopped the presses, "_Shhhh._ Everyone's getting ready for bed, and I'm _certainly_ not finished yet."

Ike audibly puffed, toned chest rising and falling, his heart pumping a more than its required rate...

"What... the hell... was_ that?!_"

Link innocently cocked his head to the side.

"_What do you mean?_"

"_This?!_ What is all this?!"

"Isn't it obvious...? _I was going to… to make love you_…"

"_Ho ho_, There's no doubt about that. But since _when_ does Link start licking my ear, biting me... _stroking me with your knee?! Where'd "Link" go?! You know!_ The _real_ Link that wouldn't have_ the balls _to go this far?!"

Silence.

Tummy-churning silence.

_I probably worded that wrong..._

Link's facial expression evolved from dark and sensuous to hurt and_ furious_. He pushed himself off the taller man—Ike recoiling into the bed—turning his back against his mate. He folded his arms and pouted those upset, plump lips.

"I'm sorry for only wanting to give my lover pleasure for once. I did not know that it was a _crime_."

"_No_… No, sweetheart. _I didn't mean for it to sound like that_..." Ike gingerly embraced his dramatic love from behind, holding him unbearably close, "You _surprised_ me... That's all."

"_I surprised you?_ How is that? Can't I make love to you... _whenever?_"

"Well, uhm—_yes_. Yes you can. I guess I'm just used to—"

"—Me being bottom. _My point exactly_."

Another puff from the blonde man.

"Ike...?"

"Y-Yeah?"

Emotional cerulean eyes met the befuddled pair, "Do I pleasure you? _Sexually?_"

Ike knew it took a lot of courage for him to bring through his lips. Hell, the man was basically the color of Marth's rubies.

_Where the hell is this coming from?_

Link lowered his head, twiddling with his thumbs, anxiously awaiting Ike's "yes" or "no" answer. The indigo-haired traveler honestly did not know what to say. Well—he wanted to say "yes": seeing Link's "coming face" was to _die_ for. But what was the hidden meaning behind his words?

"I mean, since I'm... on the bottom and all... I feel as if I don't... _please you_. Like I'm not... doing enough… _Ike_, you see what I'm trying to say, don't you...?"

"Yes I do, but I totally disagree. Link, love—"

"—Can we talk about this later...?"

"Oh… Sure Honey."

"Th-Thank you. Right now, I would like to... _try something_."

Ike's bitten ears perked.

"Hm? _What's that?_"

"—Lay down."

Again, he complied, now more bewildered than before. Ike didn't like the idea of being a guinea pig for one of Link's mysterious "experiments". But he looked like he knew what he was doing…

The smaller man lowered himself upon his lover, his eyes sincere and hungry.

"_Ike_... I've been planning this for a while... _I hope you enjoy it_."

"_Yeah_... About that, I'd like to know _exactly_ what you have planned before you—_Baby!_ _You got a cut!_" Ike tried to sit back up to inspect the coral wound thoroughly, but to his immediate surprise, Link forcefully pushed him back into the sheets with one hand.

"_No. That's irrelevant. No more distractions,_" the Hyrulean huskily ground out, mere inches away from those quivering lips.

"_Y-Yes sir_."

* * *

_AAAAH!_ Horribleness! Again, this is where my inexperience comes into play -sulks in corner- This chapter was supposed to be a bit longer... but Link's little "experiment" will have to be included in chapter five! -wink-

Hokage's (_meaningless_) Points:

(1): "Pika Pikaaa!" - Pikachu's combined one and two taunt C:

Anyhow, onto my reviews. -sparkles-

**The Mad Joker: **Thanks for pointing that out! I get so eager to upload a new chapter I don't proofread things a lot (which I know I should do, but... eh, happens to the best of us). Ike kinda feels on and off. When he see's Marth, his relationship with Link has never existed. He's easily manipulated... well, at least in my fic he is...

**Midnight Crystal Sage:** Ho ho, yes... I hope you're satisfied with this chapter! I'm sure not...

**Panda-chan101:** Yeah, Ike will eventually get what he totally deserves. Until then, we'll have to watch him cheat on our beloved Link behind his back and want to desperately chop off his balls. -wipes forehead- _Whew!_ Good!! No mistakes! But there's probably thousands in here...!

**Rayestar Ikina: **I'm only a little rising freshman (yeah, fresh out of middle school. I know, "WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU WRITING STUFF LIKE THIS?!" Let's just say my innocence was stripped away from me at the tender age of seven). So my grammar/English isn't that expert... I try my best, though-nyon. I write Marth as I see he would act, honestly. I've watched the Fire Emblem episodes (I never remember how to spell that xD Emblem... I always ask my sister, she knows), so eh... I guess we all have our personal ideas of character's attitudes (Do I make sense?). Roy is coming, too! Soon though!

**Sachiko V:** Yush. There is more IkeXMarth scenes to come... - w - Scary Marth is fun to write!! Sexy, too, ho ho... I hope you enjoyed the semi-seme Link! I tried my best! -dies-

**xXAngelic ScarsXx:** YAY! NEW REVIEWER! -hands cookie- I want to kill them both for doing this to Linky. And what's even worse, he's totally unaware! The "Strawberry Kiwi" thing made me giggle, too as I wrote it! xD Marth has all the required eight servings of fruit in the form of shampoos, actually. Or so I would think...

**Nyochan:** More IkeXMarth-ness coming right up! Oh, and here's your cookie! It's piping hot -nods- :3 -hands over chocolate chip cookie-

**HOT fries:** Aww, a Marth fan. Hmm, will he end up with Ike? Of course I know, but that's for you all to find out. But I'll tell you this, in the end, everyone will be happy! A cookie for your troubles! -gives cookie- I won't abuse Marth (or Link, for that matter) for too long! ;-;

**Mel:** It's killing me too, you know! Ike and Marth doing naughty things behind Link's back... IkeXLink is a rare couple...? I really haven't checked the fics in a while... but I'm glad I made this one! Everyone's happy! YOU'RE A NEW REVIEWER AS WELL! -hands steaming hot cookie- I didn't poison it.

YAYNESS! Thanks for all the kind reviews! In the next chapter, Link's unknown "experiment" will be FINALLY REVEALED! Oh, and more IkeXMarth ness for all you fans out there. GOMEN for all mistakes! It's eleven at night... and I'm tired as hell.

Ta ta! 'Til next time!

Much Love,

HokageAkamaru


	6. Unnecessary Hell

Title: A Lover's Brawl

Pairing(s): **IkeXLink**,** IkeXMarth**, Eventual** MarthXRoy**, Eventual** PitXLink**

Rating: M

**Full Story:** _Link has always been the quiet, shy type. That is… until Ike came into his life. Since then, Ike and Link have been an inseparable item ever since they've laid eyes on each other. Marth, coping with his broken heart after the disappearance of his very own lover—Roy—had secretly loved Ike from the beginning. But it was too late, Link was the only one on Ike's mind._

_With his seductive powers and body, he lures Ike to him, the both of them sharing many nights together. And ever since, Ike has not been able to let him—nor his delicious shape—go. Link is totally unaware of this, Ike constantly lying to him about his whereabouts to protect he and his prince's relationship. With whole-hearted trust, Link believes every single word._

_Marth wants a fully committed relationship with Ike—tired of hiding it—and he will do anything to get it, even if that means hurting one of the people that he loves the most._

_But there is one more person that complicates this plot._

_Someone who watches his crush from afar._

_(This story takes place after Super Smash Brother's Melee, the reason why Roy is "missing")_

**A/N: **Oh my God. This chapter was a total _bitch_ to write _AND_ type! Mostly because I just HAD to put in a **MarthXRoy** scene… I didn't know the scene would become so big! Ideas just started rushing to me! And I couldn't stop writing! -sigh-

u w 'u

Oh, and half are you are going to kill me after this chapter… What I promised would be in this chapter, well, isn't going to be. I shall explain at the end. I PROMISE IT WON'T EVER HAPPEN AGAIN! -bow bow bow- Gomen for mistakes in grammar, spelling, and formatting. Heh, Like I was gonna check all that stuff… - w - Fanfiction's Document feature hates me anyway xD

FINALLY, **MARTHXROYNESS**. (I hope I did a good job!) And possible **MarthXLinkness**?

O.o

* * *

It's been a while since Marth's rustled through the "forbidden drawer". All of us have one. It may not be a drawer, but somewhere in each and every one of our rooms is a private place where we keep all of our first love's notes, stuffed animals, possibly even candies. Eventually—maybe even months on end—we raid the drawer, reminiscing the memorable events you and your beloved shared… _Why?_ Perhaps you're feeling a little lonely, or you just so happen to come across the articles... Maybe you were in a nostalgic mood? Well, one thing was for sure—although his mind didn't let him agree with his aching heart—he _terribly_ missed Roy… He was well aware that all of its painful contents would pour more grains of salt into his wounds that wanted nothing more than to scab over and heal… but in his recent state, he really didn't care.

Marth blotted the corners of his eyes with a Kleenex—Aloe, Vitamin E and comforting lotions included within the thin sheet. There's nothing more cleansing than a good cry. He did not eat dinner, although Link kindly invited him to join him and Ike for supper, but he _refused_ to look Ike in the eyes… He_ refused_ to sit there like a _fool_ and watch that _bastard_ nestle and _lie_ to Link as if he wasn't even_ fucking_ him night after night.

_Maybe its Link's turn with him, tonight… he hasn't stopped by yet. _

Besides, he needed a little solitude… Some peace and quiet. Ever since Link brought up the damned redhead, flashes after flashes, clips after clips of their beauteous, fairytale relationship flooded his nervous system day by day. It made him emotionally sick, sick to the point where he was forced to open the "forbidden drawer". The embedded emotional scars would possibly never heal after he gets finished yanking them open, but some psychologists say it's the quickest way to heal.

Something that appeared impossible to Marth.

The young prince took a seat on the edge of his bed, having a brief staring contest with the lifeless, haunting bottom drawer.

_Well…? It's not going to open itself, you know._

He sighed, rubbing his rosy cheeks with jittery fingers.

_Why am I so nervous? What have I got to lose? I mean, it's just a drawer with Roy's crap in it… _

Without a second thought, Marth automatically slugged over to the cherry-wooded drawers, kneeling before the lower cabinet. He gripped the round knob lightly, taking in a refreshing amount of air.

_Open it… Open it… Open it…_

The prince nearly yanked the drawer out of its slot with one powerful pull! Some of the many Kodak pictures flew out at him, the sharp corners gently skating across his arm. It wasn't much to make him acknowledge the pain, if there was any. His heart felt a thousand times worse than a couple of scratches…

It was just like he left it, no surprise: the compartment leaked litters and litters of pictures with him and his little love, numerous folded papers of Roy's secret love notes all dedicated to Marth, a small teddy bear given to him on his birthday whom the prince nicknamed Red Velvet Cake after one of his treasured desserts… There was plenty more, but his personal, most _favorite_ item in the entire drawer… was Roy's private diary. The book was left behind along with all his other miscellaneous belongings. That journal figuratively oozed all of Roy's feelings and thoughts; that's why the prince cherished this artifact the most. He was never able to get inside of the young man's mind, but in this book… Roy unleashed everything. He was so expressive, open and truthful. It was like he was reading a totally different person from the Roy he saw on the outside…

…It was like he was reading Roy's _soul._

Marth dug deep into the drawer, seeking out that thick, onyx novel. He never knew Roy wrote so much. The prince rarely caught his friend with a pen in hand, but most of his entries were written at night, anyway. Roy always put the current time right next to the date.

His finger tips danced delicately past the easy, black material…

_There you are… I've found you, Roy._

The book was rescued from the on-going sea of Kodak memories; Marth set the mammoth book in his lap. Man, was it heavy… sometimes he wondered why couldn't he have purchased a thin sized diary instead… Marth ran his fingers over the smooth exterior, debating over whether to read those pages again…

_Why should I? The memories… I can remember clearly what happened back in those days… but… The way he writes them… the words he uses… They birth them all back to life… And I could recall them so very vividly. Every single word that was spoken, action that was made, kiss that was shared… All those feelings… they rush back into me… and they feel so good… but yet, they are so heart-wrenching, because…_

_Because Roy's not here to relive those feelings with me… _

A heavy sigh blew through his narrow nostrils; Marth flipped open the book, ruffling through the usual pages where Roy blabbed on about things that really didn't catch his interest. Alas, one of his favorite memories…

_April 12th… 8:23 pm_

_Dear Journal, _

_I think I'm dreaming… If so, someone please pinch me! The most wonderful thing happened to me today… Prince Marth Lowell stopped by my dorm this afternoon with these abnormal, sugar cookies…_

Marth smiled to himself, turning the page as he read on…

_Flashback…_

"_Marth!_ Just tell him how you feel—"

"—_But_ _Linky! _It's just not that simple! It never really is! What if I tell him… and he's… well… not interested in men…?"

Link lazily looked up at his painted, green ceiling, occasionally watching Navi zoom about the room, but that was rather brutal on the eyes. It flew just about as fast as a hummingbird.

"Hmm… well… that's his loss…"

"_But!_ What if he thinks I'm some… _freak?_ What if he gets scared of me, and… and never talks to me again?!"

"…Well, we'll have to see then, now wouldn't we? Roy's too sweet to abandon a friend, Marth, and you know that…"

Marth fiercely puffed like a spoiled five-year-old prince who didn't get his way. You could_ barely_ tell someone of the opposite sex that you love them without getting tongue tied or rejected, so… What does that mean for people who want to confess their love to someone of the same sex? Obviously it's not that easy; he doesn't even know if Roy's… well… _like that_. He got up from his post where he carefully kept watch of the growing, sugar cookies in the oven. Roy's loss? More like his _very own_ loss… How did Link know all of this stuff anyway?! It's has to come from some form of experience…

Curiosity never failed to get the best of him; Marth removed the green floral apron from his lean body, hanging it back up before taking a close spot next to his "everything-green" friend.

"_Link?_"

"_Hm?_"

"Sorry if I'm butting into your personal life, but, have you ever been in love?"

The blonde thought thoroughly before answering.

"_Hm_. Not that I can recall…"

"W-well…_What about Zelda?_ I always thought you two had something special…"

"_Why_ does everyone make that assumption…? Zelda—I'll put it like this… she's more of a sister to me. I've never been in love with her. Yeah, saved her a couple times but, I never felt anything… So, to answer your question, I've never really experienced the feeling of love."

The prince exhaled.

"_Great_. Not even the _Almighty Guru_ truly understands how I feel!"

Link shot straight up.

"_Almighty Guru"?_

"_Hey!_ I do know a couple things! Like, your_ feelings_, for example… _Tell me_… what goes through your mind when you think about Roy?"

Marth grinned at the name, closing his eyes, and letting it sink into his soul.

"_Roy_… When I think of Roy, honestly, it feels as if I'm going to throw up my _heart_. It beats so very fast; sometimes it gets so intense I almost lose whatever sanity I have left! I'm… well… _addicted_ to him: his lustrous, crimson hair, those precious, oceanic orbs that I always seem to drown in, those perfect, coral petals that I desire to kiss _oh-so_ badly. _Wah!_ And the fact that he's simply _adorable!_ I could just_ eat him up, _Link!"

The prince happily clasped his hands together, most likely daydreaming about the young man in his own, little world. Link glanced over at his friend.

"…and you say you love him, right?"

Marth regained his saneness.

"Yes… He's the only thing on my mind night and day… _I love him_, Link… He's so precious to me. You do understand… how I feel… _right?_"

"_Of course I do_. Apparently you can't go a minute without thinking about him. Since the beginning, I've noticed that Roy has always had a special place in your heart. Whenever we have a get together—just you, me, and Roy—most of the time, you're always looking at him… Always watching his lips… _Always listening_… As if he were some beautiful, strange creature that you couldn't help but question how nature could produce such an astonishing being… and _Marth?_"

"_Mm?_"

"I… I can't help but feel—and _please_ don't take this the wrong way, but—I'm a bit… well… _jealous_—"

Marth towered over his reddening friend, which only made him even more flustered. He knew perfectly well that Link detested confessing is feelings.

"What do you mean by _jealous, _Link? That is… Unless you… _Aww! Link!_ I didn't know you had feelings for me!"

"—_Gah!_ No, you idiot! If you'd only let me finish! Now, what I meant by jealous was… Roy steals your attention easily. I mean, he doesn't even have to speak a word and he's already caught your eye… and… well… I'm jealous of _Roy_. How close you two have become… I feel like… like I'm—"

"—You feel as if I'm leaving you out. That's what you were going to say, wasn't it?"

"How—how did you—?"

Marth gave his pal a bone-crushing hug, swinging him from side to side in his arms.

"_Link!_ You're so easy to read; it's too cute! And don't worry… _You are my best friend!_ You help me out so much… and no matter how close Roy and I become, you're still the person that I'm always going to turn to for assistance. Like a little lamb seeking a shepherd… You're the person whose shoulder I can cry on without getting ashamed or embarrassed… Besides, what if… what if Roy doesn't feel the same way…? I'm definitely going to need you then…"

It was silent…

"_Oh, Link!_ Nothing's more painful that unrequited love!"

The blonde Hyrulean soothed his bawling friend, raking his fingers through the deep-blue locks...

_What am I going to do with you?_

"_Marth_… don't think pessimistically. A little faith can go a long way, you know... You two are already such good friends… Roy is a nice guy, and even if he might not share the same feelings you have, he'll sooner or later fall in love you. I mean, you're humorous, caring, sweet… Honestly, Marth, who doesn't like you already? Quit doubting yourself… and if anything goes wrong, I'll make sure to see to it that you and Roy are_ always_ happy together."

The prince peered up at his friend, eyes boiling with sparkly tears and a crumbly smile on his red, thin lips.

"_Thank you_, Link! Thank you, thank you, _thank you!_ You always know what to say!"

"Uh, _you're welcome_… Hey Marth, you might want to take out the—"

"—You're such a good friend! I don't know what I'd do without you!"

"Marth… the cookies—"

"—Why can't more people be like you… I love you so much—"

"—_My_ _precious oven!_"

The smoke detector released a blood-curdling shrill, finally catching the ditzy prince's short-spanned attention. He pounced off of his short friend, turning his full attention over to the oven. Pitch black smoke seeped from the baking machine, and the light that allowed Marth to watch his animal cookies come to life was now eclipsed by the increasing, thick fog.

"Roy's cookies! _Oh no!_"

Marth immediately sprung into action, quickly shoving on the floral oven mitt and prying the appliance open. The soot colored smoke engulfed him, binding him by the neck, but he'd do anything to keep Roy's special cookies from crisping. It was a little too late for that… but that didn't stop him from rescuing his beloved's sugary delights. His love could conquer anything!

Marth retrieved the tray, setting it upon a towel on the kitchen counter. Link stood on top of a stool—along with a couple of thick books to benefit his height—fanning the smoke away from the sensitive detector with his hand. His poor fairy was frightened to death…

"I hope you didn't break my oven!"

"_Oven?!_ Look at my _cookies!_"

Instead of the scrumptious snacks in the shapes of rabbits, pandas, and hamsters, they looked like mutated, rocky, brunt biscuits. The poor prince couldn't even tell what cookie was a bunny, and what was a hamster… Tears welled in his eyes, bells rang in his ears… and it wasn't the smoke alarm's shrilling bells.

It was the kind of bells you hear right before you cry…

Link stepped down, the annoying noise finally ceasing. All was tranquil once again, that is, until he noticed his best friend's sudden silence.

"Marth? Everything alright? _Look_, you can forget about the oven… I can always get it fixed…"

"_Look at them_, Link…! _Roy's cookies_… They're all—all—_fucked_ _up!_ They were supposed to be perfect… perfect for Roy…"

He burst into tears, childishly tossing the oven mitt to the glistening, hardwood floor. It was always entertaining to see such a grown man having temper tantrums like a selfish toddler, but Link could see why Marth would throw a fit. His snacks were indeed, "fucked up_"_.

"_They have to be perfect! That was all the dough I had!_"

Link gently pats his back.

"It's alright! _Er_… they're not that bad, Marth! They're probably still edible… May I try a piece of the bunny, there?"

"That's a mouse…"

"_Oh_…"

"Go ahead, have the whole lot… I don't care anymore. _I'll never win Roy's heart, anyway_…"

_I can't stand it when he talks like this… Marth… _

Determined, the blonde grasped the over-tanned cookie taking a rather large bite out of what could have possibly been its ear.

His eye twitched.

There was a somewhat audible "crunch", and Link could've sworn all of his bicuspids on the right side of his mouth shattered. Yep, all four of them. But when he saw the sadness and negativity in Marth's beautiful, sapphire eyes, he pretended as if no such thing occurred. That was quite hard, actually, because his first reaction was to upchuck everything he had eaten that day… and there was no doubt in his mind that if he'd done that, his best friend would erupt into a violent volcano of salt water tears, and Marth _hates_ salt water.

_You're doing this for a friend, you're doing this for a friend…_

"Is it… _okay?_"

Link blinked back the unintended tears that somehow managed to seep through his tear ducts. He swallowed all he could, Link's unfortunate taste buds crying out to him for ever eating such a foul thing. His throat became irritated as the sharp-edged bits of cookie that refused to dissolve in his mouth abraded quite roughly against the sensitive canal, all the way down to the pit of stomach. A couple expected coughs brewed, but died away shortly after Link regained composure.

"Um, Marth?"

"Y-yes?"

"As your best friend, I'm not going to boldly lie to you and tell you that that was the best cookie I had ever tasted… Sincerely, I think I swallowed half of my teeth."

The prince sighed, a small grin forming on his lips. He was happy Link told him the truth, but deep down in his heart, he couldn't help but feel disappointed. He couldn't even make measly cookies without screwing up! _What loser can't make cookies?!_ Either they were too sweet or two hard… Not well cooked or too over baked. The blonde even volunteered to make the snacks for his secret beloved, but Marth kindly refused. He wanted to give Roy something made by him…

_From _him… From his _heart…_

Marth warmly embraced Link, so very thankful to have such a compassionate companion. You don't meet people like these, nowadays… and he was lucky enough to come across one.

"Thank you for being truthful with me… _I love you, buddy_."

Those kind words could melt the coldest of hearts. If they didn't… well… maybe the person didn't have one.

"You're welcome, Marth."

The prince looked at the fried zoo snaps, pulling a spatula out of Link's silverware drawer. What was the use of them now? Maybe you could hammer a couple nails in with them, and possibly they could become a new edition to the battle items. Someone was bound to get knocked out cold.

You most certainly couldn't eat them.

"I'm sorry for causing your oven trouble. I'm going to throw these away now…"

"—No!"

Marth halted his actions.

"Link…?"

"No. Don't throw them away just yet… _Give those cookies to Roy_."

"_Gah!_ Have you lost it, Link?! These cookies would _kill _him! I want him _alive_ not _dead!_"

"You want to know if Roy has feelings for you, correct?"

"Y-yes…"

Link grabbed a cookie, holding it closely to his face, "Then give him at least one sugar cookie… Give him the cookie, and then open your heart. He'll speak to it, I'm sure. Don't worry about realizing it… Your heart has a way of knowing when it's being spoken to."

"Are… are you sure?"

"_Positive_."

_Outside Roy's Dorm…_

Marth stood outside of Roy's dorm, three cookies wrapped delicately in a decorative olive-green cloth. Really, what _didn't_ the Hyrulean have that was green? He clenched the rigid snacks, hunching over just a bit. The pressure of his own fears and insecurities weighed down heftily on his shoulders. What was Link talking about?! Opening his heart? How exactly are you supposed to do that?! Maybe that was a question he should've asked before he left when he was still confident about the whole situation. He may have not have had a single love in his life, but the man sure knew what he was talking about.

_Link, I so desperately hope you have this whole "speaking to your heart" thing right! I don't want to look like a complete fool in front of my precious Roy! But, when I think it over, has Link ever been wrong about… anything?_

Marth looked up, the bronze number eight distorting his mirrored image. He forcefully gulped down the butterflies that tickled at his throat, straightening his body posture along with his bangs.

_No time to doubt myself! It's all about confidence now! All right! I'm going to do this…! I'm going to march right in there and confess my love to him! Or—at least see how he feels about me—or chat with him a bit… Wait… which one did I—_

"Oh, hello Marth…! I thought I heard someone out here…"

The prince ceased all current thoughts when he heard that gentle, chaste voice. Marth glanced down, and there his little angel was, rubbing the sleep out of his crystal-blue eyes. Did Marth wake him up? Was he even that loud?! Maybe he was thinking so much he couldn't tell if he was talking aloud or to himself. But one thing was sure, Marth could feel his heart melt, and if he didn't say something soon he was afraid he'd sweep him off his feet and meteor shower those rosy cheeks with soft-hearted kisses! He rapidly shooed the girlish urge away, clenching his cookies tighter to maintain self control.

"_Ah!_ Roy, I'm sorry! I woke you up!"

"No, it's alright. I was about to get up anyway…"

"Okay… Um… _May I…?_"

"_Oh!_ How rude of me… _Yes, come in!_"

Roy stepped aside, widening his door. Marth accepted the kind invitation, entering his dorm. His dorm was always kept decorated and organized… It intimidated Link; his room was usually as clean as it got.

The couple took a seat on the love sofa, awfully close to one another. Marth could feel the baby-soft skin on his arm brush against his. What beautiful friction it was.

It was quiet… too quiet.

_This is bad! Very bad! How am I choking in front of Roy? It's just Roy! But… it is our first time being alone… With each other… Without Link's guidance… What should I say?! But oh… his skin feels so nice… It's softer than I imagined… I wonder how it would feel to have that skin all over my body… Gah! No time for such thoughts! Maybe this is a good time to ask if he'd like a snack..._

In Roy's very own mind, similar questions brewed.

_Wow. When I think about it, when was the last time Marth and I were alone…? Together…? I never realized that… What should I say? I just can't say any old thing… I've never frozen up in front of him before… maybe that's because Link was present. Which eased the tension; I have no idea why the prince has such an effect on me. It's like, when I see him, my breath grows short... And I can't stop staring at him… This isn't like me… Wait, I'm getting off topic. I should bring one up… that should ease the atmosphere just a little bit. _

"Roy, I've brought something for you—"

"—_So_, what's that you've got there?"

An awkward feeling it was, speaking at once. Both young adults rivaled the shade of ripe cherries during the harvest.

"—_Ah!_ Sorry! Um, you go first!"

"No! After all, I interrupted you…!"

"Marth, I believe it was _I _who cut you off!"

"But I insist, please Roy… Now, what where you saying before I so rudely butt in?"

Roy, bit his lower lip, focusing on his tiled floor.

"Well, I was just a little curious about what you were carrying, that's all… Sorry if I'm being… _nosy._"

"_Oh no!_ Actually, _um_, what I have here… are for you."

Roy fluttered his lashes.

_Marth has something… for me? _

"Um, here you go…!"

The prince politely handed over the goodies, placing them soundly in his lap.

_Link, if this goes wrong, I'm going to murder you!_

"_Oh_… Thanks, Marth."

Roy fingered the silky cloth, untying the knot. The monarch waited in pure haste. It would be any moment now when his precious clunked him on the head with his rocks for cookies, asking him in a deadly tone if he thought he was a fool to eat such things. Seconds pasted… and there was no blow to the head… In fact there was more silence.

Which was even worse.

_He's not saying anything! I don't know what to do! _

And just about when Marth thought he'd lose it, the red-headed angel spoke…

"Wow… Did you make these yourself?"

"Yes, is it that obvious…? They're a little—well—_really_ brunt… _Gah_, I knew I shouldn't have given them to you… You don't have to eat them, I'll understand."

"No, I want to."

Those sweet words coiled around his heart, giving it a comforting, heavenly squeeze. The sensitive organ responded, beating twice as fast for some peculiar reason.

Could that be his heart... _speaking…?_

"Wh-Why would you? Do you see how crispy they are?! You could get really sick…"

"But you put so much time and effort into making them just for me, right? I wouldn't let all of that go to waste… Besides, they don't look all that bad!"

_I put love into them, too… All the love I have for you…_

Roy picked up what roughly resembled a rabbit, and held it to those perfect lips. Marth watched attentively as his petite beloved nibble at the ear before taking a small bite.

Roy's eye twitched. He did his absolute best swallowing the salty contents down.

"How… how are they? It's okay. You can tell me the truth, I know they're horrible."

The redhead cracked a weak smile, "Eh… Well, yes. Honestly, I think my front teeth would've fallen out if I had taken a bigger bite, and if you threw it hard enough, it would probably send someone into a coma…"

Marth slumped, feeling utterly pathetic.

_Link… I should've let you make the cookies…_

"But… They're still made by _you_… So they're special… _very_ special… which is why I'm going to keep them…"

That tremendously caught the prince by surprise. He looked up, meeting Roy's gaze. Boy was he easy on the eyes... His heart was deliciously constricted by the angel's tender, effective words…

"_Roy_…_?_"

Was it just him? Or did the younger man scoot a little closer?

Roy's lips appeared to be ever the more loose and kissable…

This was the prince's god-given chance… and probably the most fortunate opportunity that would ever cross his path. But something wouldn't let him do it… Something wouldn't let him confess… Anxiety? Paranoia? _Fear…?_

"Yes, Marth…?"

He gulped; Roy looked so very "edible" staring at him keenly with his wide, inquiring orbs…

_Marth… I can see it in your eyes… Please tell me… Tell me how you feel… Save me from these puzzling questions..._

"Roy… _Um…_ I—I—I'll… _go get you some milk to wash that down!_"

_Way to go, Marth, _the prince said to himself.

"Oh… _okay_. Thanks…"

The disappointment was so evident in the soft, weak mewl that it was heart-wrenching… The monarch felt absolutely dreadful as he poured the glass of milk. He was so close… Why couldn't he do it? All he had to say was, "Roy, I love you. _I love you, I love you, I love you,_" and the way he younger man looked at him… Azure eyes glittering with desire, passion, and—he couldn't quite tell what it was, but—a small shimmer of _hope_ hid behind those films. Was it possible that Roy had feelings for him after all? Was he really… _homosexual_? But most importantly…

…what was that cold sensation running down his hand?

"_Shit!_"

Marth's full concentration was not fully on the now overflowing glass of milk, thus causing it to spill all over Roy's fine, marble counter.

"…Marth? Is everything all right?" The shorter man joined his friend in the kitchen, observing the mess.

"_I'm so sorry_! I was clumsy and…! _I'll clean it up right away!_"

"It's alright… Happens to the best of us," he calmly replied, Roy entertaining himself by watching his flustered friend scramble through the drawers for a dish rag. The redhead accepted the ice-cold drink, sipping some off the top to decrease the elevation. He smiled as he did so...

_I wonder if he's always like this… it's cute. _

_"Marth?"_

"_Hmm?!_" he answered a little anxiously.

"_Um_... I know you weren't going to get me a drink. You were going to say something… _else_, weren't you? Something completely different, _right…?_"

There was a brief pause. The prince slowly faced the redhead, blushing unmistakable crimson.

"_I—_"

—_Peck._

...What the hell just happened? Either he was in some weird, parallel universe, or Roy just kissed him on the cheek. Maybe both. It was possible. Marth—totally in denial and spaced out at the moment—took the time to let the situation sink in. He caressed his right cheek with the soaked rag he was holding, which immediately brought him back to reality. Marth didn't worry about splotch of milk running down his cheek, but the small, bent over angel who diligently drunk his beverage.

It was a while before either one of them spoke.

"_R-Roy?_"

_End Flashback..._

_...I didn't know what to say to him... Never in a million years did I think I would summon up enough courage to kiss Marth Lowell. But now that I have, millions and millions of tons have been lifted off my chest. Marth looked so adorable after I kissed him. And after that... well... he immediately went back to his dorm, giving me the_ _uncomfortable vibe that I'd did something wrong... That I took it too far... All those feelings melted away when he gave me a parting kiss—soft and chaste—square on my lips. _

…_That was my very first kiss. _

_It was simply the best thing I've ever felt in... ever. I started wobbling seconds later; I couldn't move! _

_Heh, I must sound like a total girl... That's probably because I haven't been getting enough sleep lately... Too busy thinking of perfect Prince Marth Lowell... _

_Well, I will write in you some other time! Until then, Goodnight!_

_Yours Truly, _

_Roy_

Marth shut the book.

It was too much. Way too much.

The young prince cupped a hand over his quivering lips.

_Roy... Why'd you leave me here...?_

_Why'd you leave me with this mess...?_

He threw the book halfway across the room in sheer anger and confusion.

_I have to stop doing this to myself... I deserve so much better... So much better than this, I deserve to be so much healthier than this..._

Marth yelped, the blood flowing in his arteries seemed like it vanished. It was replaced with pure, white grains of sodium chloride, spreading throughout miles and miles of veins with each and every beat of his heart... It _hurt_. It hurt so bad... He wanted nothing more to rip the organ out, stomp on it, obliterate it, _destroy_ it. His heart was the one doing this to him. _It_ wanted Roy..._ It_ didn't want to let him go, and _it_ _refused _to let Marth forget completely about the redhead.

The heart indeed was a greedy, selfish organ...

_It might take a while, a whole century, even… _

_But... I have to forget you, baby._

_I have to forget you._

The heavens cried for him that night... One of their very own angels struggling in such unnecessary hell.

I hope you're satisfied with the MarthXRoyness... -dodges daggers- I had to cut out almost EVERYTHING I was going to write just to fit this scene in this chapter. So all the things I promised WOULD be here, I'm going to have to put it into a separate chapter. Which is probably where it should belong. I've noticed that not a day has gone by yet xD Simply because I've been trying to get these "filler" scenes out of the way! The next chapter is the last one for the fillers, then Link will open his pretty little eyes and find out who Ike really is! That's when the Lover's Brawl _really _starts!

SORRY FOR THE DELAY! But MarthXRoy fans will enjoy it, I'm sure.

So... onto the reviews Cx

* * *

**NyoChan: **Hmm, now that I think of it, I feel very sorry for Marth... I can see why you feel that way :3

**Ernoma:** Eh heh heh... -sweat- I promise I would let anyone lay a finger on little Link. I promise. And here's a MarthXRoy scene for you. He's not actually there, but, it showed you how they acted towards one another C: COOKIE! -gives chocolate chip cookie-

**Wind Kaizer:** I'm glad you like it x3 And Oh My God... The "Dragon Ball Z" part made me seriously ROFL xDDD THANK YOU FOR THE SUPPORT!! I REALLY APPRECIATE IT! You get a special cookie, I ran out of chocolate chip -hands over cookie with rainbow m&ms-

**The Mad Joker:** Oh ho ho... - w- We shall find out if your predictions are correct... HA HA. Link looks like the type that can top, but since he's so shy and timid in my fic, it was a real struggle to get all that courage. He's easy to write, since we are alike. It's like reading my very own self and what I would do in situations. Yes, poor Link doesn't feel good enough... And when he finally finds out what Ike's been doing, that worthless feeling is going to increase tenfold. Gaaah, I have to break it to Link as lightly as I can...

**xXAngelic ScarsXx: **Ho ho, yes... No matter how much I bash Marth/Ike, I'm still going to love them. Well, I love Marth more, but... you get what I'm saying! And yep! 8 fruit shampoos! All of them with exotic aromas xD I feminized him waaaay too much.

**Rayestar Ikina:** -GASP- -bows to superior senpai- Every now and then I look through my old journals that I hold onto for some reason... My story ideas weren't that bad, but my grammar would make ANY English teacher go berserk with a red pen (Red slashes scare me, I ask them to use blue instead... A more calming color). I also noticed that I wrote such innocent stories... About adventures and three super hero girls... But now look at me, I'M WRITING PURE SMUT. I thought to myself: _I'm never going to be that innocent again... _But I had to grow up sooner or later. I'm glad I'm not making him too sissy. Or am I? Well, since it's my interpretation of him, I guess he's okay!

**MiaMorai:** I know, Ike is being a complete ass and using our beloved Prince Marth... He IS too pretty to be used! Like an angel in shackles... GAAAH now I feel even more horrible! What kinda sadistic hates Marth?! I don't think it's even possible! Now that I've typed up this chapter, I feel a bit more sorry for him than I do for Link WHO I LOVE SO VERY MUCH! AH! -bow- YOU FOR THE SUPPORT! I pour everything I have into this fic to bring it to life! I hope you're satisfied with the MarthXRoyness Cx HERE'S A SPECIAL M&M CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE! -gives rainbow cookie-

**Midnight Crystal Sage:** I'm glad I didn't complete fail at EVERYTHING. You didn't see that coming? Seme Link? Hmm, maybe I didn't make it too obvious, but that wouldn't be surprising now would it? OH MY GOD, MY HEART TWISTED WHEN I WROTE THAT. And Ike lied to him... -huggles Link- I'M SO SORRY! SO SO SORRY FOR DOING THIS TO YOU! Link: ...

**Panda-chan101:** Come to think of it, in almost every SSBB boyXboy fan fic Ike is always the bastard in some way. Does anyone love him? At all?! And my best character is Link :3 Who is being boldly lied to... I can't wait to write when he leaves that lying trash.

**Sachiko V:** Honestly, it wasn't that Pikachu's bolt did so much damage... I didn't want to bore my readers with my horrific battling scene skills... So I cut it short, making Pikachu's lightning bolt seem like it took lots out of him. Pretty slick ain't it? Heh heh... THANKS FOR THE COOKIE. My parents have to limit my sugar intake, or I'd explode sugar, myself o w o

Thank you for all the SUPER AWESOME Reviews! They inspire me so much and I'm already writing chapter six right away! GOMEN NASAI FOR THE DELAY AGAIN! I HOPE THE MARTHXROYNESS MAKES UP FOR IT! See you in chapter six!

Much Love,

HokageAkamaru


	7. I Hate That I Love You

Title: A Lover's Brawl

Pairing(s): **IkeXLink**,** IkeXMarth**, Eventual** MarthXRoy**, Eventual** PitXLink**

Rating: M

**Full Story:** _Link has always been the quiet, shy type. That is… until Ike came into his life. Since then, Ike and Link have been an inseparable item ever since they've laid eyes on each other. Marth, coping with his broken heart after the disappearance of his very own lover—Roy—had secretly loved Ike from the beginning. But it was too late, Link was the only one on Ike's mind._

_With his seductive powers and body, he lures Ike to him, the both of them sharing many nights together. And ever since, Ike has not been able to let him—nor his delicious shape—go. Link is totally unaware of this, Ike constantly lying to him about his whereabouts to protect he and his prince's relationship. With whole-hearted trust, Link believes every single word._

_Marth wants a fully committed relationship with Ike—tired of hiding it—and he will do anything to get it, even if that means hurting one of the people that he loves the most._

_But there is one more person that complicates this plot._

_Someone who watches his crush from afar._

_(This story takes place after Super Smash Brother's Melee, the reason why Roy is "missing")_

**A/N: **Hello lovelies. I'm back with a new chapter for you all!

Thank you _so very much_ for all the **favorites/reviews/alerts**! I really appreciate them a lot!!

-_**squee**_-

Let's see, this chapter is both filled with **IkeXLink**ness and **IkeXMarth**ness… I ask you, will you still feel sorry for Marth? Will Ike forever be on your "Death Row" list? And will Link ever get the courage to top again? Hmm, all these questions are ones only you can answer amongst yourselves (except for Link topping, of course xD). I think** IkeXMarth** fans will be satisfied since so many of you asked for some! But it might make you sad D;

Speaking of Link topping… HIS TOP SECRET EXPERIMENT WILL FINALLY BE REVIELED, _HO HO!_

**MarthXRoy** will again be here shortly Cx

Til then, enjoy chapter siiiix!

And all its hilariousness.

* * *

"Okay, so let me get this straight, Link because I don't believe I heard you well... You're _actually_ going to _suck my cock_?"

"_Well_, when you say it vulgarly like that—"

"I mean, the very last thing I'd think my _precious_, _untainted_ Link would do is put my dick into his mouth—"

"_Ike—_"

"I can't _fathom_ how deliciously _orgasmic_ it would feel to have your wet lips wrapped around my—"

"—_Ike! Goddamnit,_ if you're going to continue to talk like that I won't do it at all!"

Ike smiled. He _lived_ to plague Link.

"_Linky_… How many times have I told you never to take anything I say so seriously?! _I was just messing with ya_… Plus I've told you already, you're just too cute when you blush."

Link pouted, folding his small yet muscular limbs with a roll of his eyes. Those "inoffensive" jokes always got the best of his fragile emotions. He couldn't help but feel slightly taken advantage of, although he knew Ike probably meant no harm.

"Aww, are you mad at me now? _You know_, you're even cuter when you poke out those _fish lips_ like that…"

…"_Fish lips?"_

The petite man hovered mere inches over his boyfriend's kiss swollen petals. "What oh _what_ am I going to do about that dirty little mouth of yours? Do you love toying about with my feelings, Ike? Poking fun at me as much as you please?"

Eyes intense and electrifyingly blue; Ike was suddenly frozen by the sharp edged words coming out of such a sensitive soul. Link's beautifully-sculpted face held tremendous sex appeal, and the taller man was easily blown away by the sudden persona switch. There was no doubt in his mind that _this_ Link was the one he wished to see more often in bed.

Oh, the _many_ places he'd go…

"N-No. _I love you_…"

"_I know you do_. Now, _stop interrupting me_," he grunted in a delectably venomous matter. Link gave his mate's upper lip an unexpected nip; as a result the love bite turned out to be an actual _bite_. "_I'm_ _not done_." A droplet of blood formed from the open cut, and Link happily slurped up the iron-tasting liquid.

He absolutely loved Ike's bamboozled expression. The smaller man basked in it, relished in it… Ike must've really underestimated the blonde, because there was no way in hell Link would ever perform something as sensuous as this. Well, maybe in his fantasies, but that's a realm not even the most twisted person would _ever_ want to enter.

Link sowed another batch of dry kisses over to Ike's right ear, uttering with so much emotion, "_I love you, too_."

Words so saccharinely genuine, Ike's heart ached in guilt and remorse… Link meant those words… He meant them with all of his loving, unsullied heart. If only he knew what's secretly been going on for the past months… How it'd tear his world into pieces… They shared a small kiss, Link lightly smiling upon his lover. A gorgeous grin so small, yet behind those lips lie feelings that not even the most beautiful language could fully express how he felt about the wonderful man beneath him.

With an abrupt, semi-moist kiss to the neck, the Hyrulean switched his gears once again, beginning to make his way southbound. With the help of the indigo-haired swordsman, Link removed the fitted, scarlet tee with no difficulties at all.

But shortly afterwards, he did have problems breathing...

The blonde bit his tender, bottom lip, drinking in the savory display. That body… that well-developed, godly body… It was a sin. It _had_ to be a sin to have such an alluring physique… Ripples and ripples of muscle underneath that bronze skin, abs so toned and toothsome Link had to stop his own self from sexually attacking him. Which was a fairly-new feeling to experience… Usually the petite man had much better self-control than his lover… Maybe raging hormones had something to do with it, but wasn't he out of that stage?

This was such a big shock to him… the now "green-with-envy" Link hadn't really notice how physically threatening Ike was… _No surprise_. He was always on bottom, so there's really nothing for you to see.

But now that he has seen the delicious torso, he's terrified.

Compared to Ike, Link was a feeble, weightless twig. Of course the taller of the two found this "unbearably cute", and the other fully disagreed. He was a guy for crying out loud! _A man!_ These disappointing thoughts began to give Link the idea that Ike thought he was superior… Superior just because he was _bigger_, a tad bit stronger, muscular, _taller_, and more stable with his emotions.

And, though he hates to succumb to this fact, it _really_ pisses him off.

Ike was everything _he_ wanted to be…

_Bold, daring, dominant…_

Link was fed up with his own docile, "push over" behavior. Downright disappointed. Always allowing people to trample over him, never having the courage to tell someone "no"…

Tonight was the night that he would redeem his manhood.

Even if it meant going a little overboard.

Tossing Ike a concupiscent glance, Link drew the hardened, pink nipple into his mouth. He earned a lusciously, throaty response from the man below him who lightly trembled at the foreign feeling. This was new to them both: Link who's never topped in his life, and Ike who's never submitted his body to anyone. Maybe being bottom wasn't exactly as humiliating as Ike thought it would be.

Fucking _delicious_, as a matter of fact.

xXx

_Hot_… _Wet_… _The sensation of melting_…

It was _everything_ Ike dreamt it would feel… only a _jillion_ times better.

His little love diligently worked his dampened mouth around the weeping organ, heedful of Ike's body reactions. If he began bucking, that clearly meant more suction. The hoarse, lusty moans and whines evidently told Link that he was doing a fuck-_tastic_ job, which was what he was most worried about.

It was his personal goal to grant Ike with as much pleasure as possible. Whatever Ike requested, he jumped right on it, pouring all of his love and effort into fulfilling that sudden desire. Link was rewarded with an orgasmic sob and a couple of strokes to the head, which sent his mind spiraling into undeniable bliss.

_Who knew Ike could make such noises?_

Link did not have such strong arms compared to his lover, so it was a constant battle trying to keep Ike's thighs pinned down. Ike didn't want to choke his blonde, but that deliciously hot, moist haven… It drove him insane; He wanted nothing more but to be completely engulfed by that heavenly wetness… But he knew that thrusting his unruly hips into Link's delicate, little mouth would _for sure_ kill him.

And how awkward it would be telling everyone the cause of his death…

Ike was steadily nearing his climax; Link didn't even bother to stop Ike's forceful ramming into his mouth. His biceps ached, his tongue was ready to fall off any moment, and he was getting very sleepy…

Is it even _possible_ to feel sleepy while doing_ that_ to someone?

"_Hah… aah… Link… I'm—_"

The more petite of the two fixed his gaze upon the quaking man with such a lust-concentrated, anticipating expression.

Ike was going to come at any minute now.

At _any_ minute.

In his _mouth_.

Link already had decided on what he was going to do. Well, not there was any other option _but_ to swallow it. Unless he chickens out at the very last minute when his boyfriend finally explodes. If he didn't gulp down the creamy, thick liquid, wouldn't it just keep coming? It would most likely make a very difficult mess; then it'd be all over his face and buried in his lustrous hair; Ike would surely poke more fun at him after he recovered from his post-orgasmic state, and he'd never live it down.

He could hear the arrogant rock-head's voice now:

"_Remember that time when you were giving me oral sex and I came all over your face?! Ha Ha! I guess I marked ya good, huh?!" _

That's one memory he would hate to keep for the rest of his life.

Link slurped and slurped, caressing the bare, sweaty thighs euphorically. Ike made an attempt to look at his love, his wonderfully glazed orbs meeting the full-on fierce ones. He watched himself disappear and reappear into Link's teeny, hot mouth, that sexy look alone was enough to send him over the edge. Billions of twinkling, microscopic stars danced before Ike's glossy pupils…

_It's my turn to hear you scream…_

"Oh_ gods!_"

_Come for me, Ike..._

"_Ah_—_Haaah!_ _Link!_"

Something popped in his mouth. A strange, milky liquid hit the very back of his throat, Link's first reaction was to gag. Ike's seed had spilled into his mouth so suddenly, even after that loud, resounding squeal of delight he hadn't expected it to come rushing this fast. He _had_ to swallow, there was no other alternative.

Steadily he suckled at the throbbing organ, milking it of Ike's lukewarm essence. Link had never tasted come before—except for the times when Ike would taste his and then kiss him afterwards—he thought the entire idea was extremely repulsive. But now, he reconsidered. It wasn't that bad, especially since it came from Ike, and to his surprise…

…Ike was kind of—_sweet_.

He removed his lips from Ike's manhood, lightly licking his lips and fingers.

Link crawled up to his raw lips, gently kissing them as he whispered, "_I love you, 'Love you so much, I love you_…"

The spent, taller man couldn't speak, and so he nodded, instead… What he needed to focus on was learning how to breathe again.

That itself was a challenge.

xXx

There was nowhere else in the entire universe he'd rather be, except lying here in a comfortable, warm bed, enveloped in this _amazing_ man's arms. Link felt like those little rainbow candies that always melted in the palm of your hand if you held onto them long enough. Yes, that's exactly what he was at the moment...

Melting chocolate.

Ike pressed his little lover so unbelievably close to him, you would probably assume that they were conjoined at the stomach. The couple lay in semi-darkness, the ever present moonlight bleeding through cracked curtains, illuminating most of Ike's handsome visage.

He had been staring suspiciously at Link, an obvious smirk on his lips. It bothered the blonde exceedingly; he didn't get much sleep the night before and it was nearing one o' clock. Unfortunately for him, Ike was a night owl.

Every single time Link would shut his eyes in attempt of slipping away into the peaceful realm of sleep, some mysterious force would pry them right back open. The mysterious force, you ask? Ike's smirking eyes. It happened each and every time! Five minutes didn't even pass by, and Link caught his boyfriend just—persistently gaping at him with that same sinister-like grin. And he definitely could not sleep knowing someone mere millimeters from him had such an... inquiring look.

"_What_ Ike?"

"_Hm?_"

"_What do you want?_ You keep staring at me with that creepy-ass look and I'm _trying_ to go to sleep…"

Ike chuckled. With a single, strong arm Ike pulled Link just a little closer to his chest, bringing up his other free hand to catch his chin. There was no second guessing that Link was as red as Peach's lip stick, their lips were so deliciously close, their breath mingling.

"I've been thinking of ways I could ask this…"

Link fluttered his pretty, long lashes, "_A-Ask what_, Ike…?"

Wielding such a tender facial expression, Ike questioned,

"_Was it hard to swallow?_"

That totally ruined the mood.

…_This man._

"_Ike!_ What a _disgusting_ question to ask—!"

"_Ahh_, there's my Linky…"

"How could you ask me something so—_so—!_"

"Just curious, _love!_ I didn't choke you, did I?"

"—Why would—?!"

"_How did I taste?_ Probably not as sweet as you, huh?"

"IKE—"

"Okay, okay… I'll stop. I'm just glad that my Linky isn't completely gone…"

Link blinked.

"'_My… Linky'?"_

The shit-eating grin was long gone, Ike motherly caressing his lover's prominent rosy cheeks. He ate up Link's adorable pout… which made him fall in love all over again.

"Why would you think such a thing like that…?" Link continued cautiously.

"Well, you see, while you were suck—er—_you know_… I just couldn't help but wonder, '_Is my Link really doing this?_'. It didn't seem like something you would do—something _Link_ would do. But, 'spite it being a little awkward—"

"—_So I take it that you did not like it_…"

"_Ah!_ _Babe!_ Hell yeah, I liked it! _Loved it_, actually! You almost had me believing that you'd done something like that before... But I highly doubted that idea… You're too shy and innocent to do such a thing—_or so I thought._"

The blonde felt more discouraged…

"You… You thought I wouldn't do it because I was _shy_…?"

"Well—_yeah._ But that adds one to the many things that makes you irresistibly _cute!_"

Ike brushed the tips of their noses together, giving his little love gentle, Eskimo kisses as he crushed him in a bear hug.

"_But—I don't—want to be—cute_," the smaller man managed to squeeze out.

"_Too baaaad!_ Linky will always be a cutie to me! No matter how tough he tries to act!"

_His mind… It hasn't changed at all… Doesn't—Shouldn't he see me as something… more now? I did this for him… I crawled out of my shell for him._

"…Babe, I love _you_ for _you_. I don't want you to change for my sake. You're fine just the way you are…"

…_Ike! How—How did he?!_

"Heh, '_How did I know'_? You wear your feelings on your sleeve, love. I can easily tell how you're feeling, what you're thinking. A bit creepy, but, for some strange reason it only makes me love you more… Yes, you may be a submissive and you're not at all that masculine compared to me… You may not be stronger than me… Or more _handsome_ and _charming_—"

Link cleared his throat, warning Ike that he was getting a little_ too_ off topic.

"—_Er_… You _can_ be very, very withdrawn sometimes… I think that's what drew me to you… the sole reason why I fell in love with you," Ike summoned a hand from the sheets to tickle the underside of Link's chin with his fingers—an effectively-sweet touch, "You know, when we first met, I just _knew_ there had to be more to this quiet, short, elf-lookin' guy… It was definitely worth the time digging deeper, because I've found something so precious underneath it all..."

Link was thoroughly apple-cheeked at Ike's confession. Such words were so unknown to him.

"…And I was right. There was so much more to you. You're so very sweet, love, almost as if you secrete syrup—_which you do, ehem—_You're easy to understand and talk to, you're not clingy... Your cooking is to_ die_ for; in factuality, it's some of the best food I've tasted in a while. _Ahh..._ and when I made love for the first time, I knew for sure—that final, powerful gaze—that you were the one for me. And I know you hate it so much when I call you '_cute_' or '_adorable_' occasionally even 'fuckable'."

"_Ike…_" He was getting off topic again…

"_What?!_ You should look in the mirror when you blush! _Okay... __I'm serious now_… Link, babe… I don't find you weak at all… You're stronger than you give yourself credit for."

The blonde man felt his heart leap in his chest.

"R-Really?"

"Why, of course! You're strong at heart, you have a very good sense of right and wrong… You're not clingy, and most of all, you trust me. And I appreciate you for that. J-Just listen, love. I'm fully happy with_ you_, sexy beast or not. I'm in love with the blonde, blue-eyed, rosy-cheeked man staring back at me… So please, _don't change_… No matter what happens… Okay?"

_And I meant that…_

Speechless, Link securely laced their fingers, clenching tightly to the other's hand. He still came up a bit short—literally—even as they lay next to each other in bed, so the blonde slowly inched his neck, lips slightly pursed as he waited for his kiss. And in no time, Ike's own inflated lips met his soul mate's in what felt like Link's first kiss… except he felt ten times warmer, ten times drowsier, and he was ten times more in love…

_Ike… I don't know what I did to deserve such a wonderful person like you._

The moonlit kiss ended upon the departing of the Hyrulean in order to murmur this airy, important statement, "I have said this many times, and each and every time, it is as sincere as the last... _I love you__, Ike_. Words cannot express it… Thank you."

Ike grinned happily at those glittering seas of bliss, bestowing another peck upon his brow...

"You're welcome, sweetie. _'Love you_, too."

"_Goodnight_…"

"Sweet dreams, Fish Lips."

At this point, Link was way too tired to even argue… He simply let the nickname slide this once, burying his head deeper into Ike's warm bosom with his mate's hand to guide him.

xXx

Legs crossed and tea cup in hand, Marth sat at the usual breakfast table sipping elegantly on the English tea. Sugar cubes the size of glaciers bobbing at the surface—eyes deadly narrowed at the spiky-haired man standing in line for the right-off-the-pan scrambled eggs. As he remembered the events from yesterday, nothing but pent up anger and frustration flowed through his veins. Like a balloon ready to burst, an atomic bomb waiting to be dropped on the enemy…

Roy pissed him off. Ike _really_ pissed him off, and it looked like he didn't have any intentions on leaving Link anytime soon.

_How dare he yell at me?! Does he know who the fuck he's messing with?! Prince Marth-fucking-Lowell, that's who! Why in the hell do I still love this man?! I ask myself this damned question every-freaking-day and I still can't find a decent answer that actually makes perfectly good sense! _

It took him a while, but after Olimar _finally_ departed from the egg kart—_Hey!_ Pikmin have to eat, too!—Ike dumped a ladle full of the yellow, fluffy delights onto his plate, heading straight for the table Marth had accompanied.

_Dammit…_

The prince quickly diverted his attention away from the approaching swordsman, focusing intensely on the beverage before him.

Ike gingerly set his plate down onto the linen cloth, taking a seat by his mistress—but in this case, he's male.

Well, he could pass for one.

"_Hey_…"

Marth glanced at him questionably, gulping down a hefty amount of tea before he answered.

"Hello, Ike."

_Yeah, he's still pissed at me… Marth…_

Ike poked at his eggs a fork, pondering his thoughts on what to say next. It wasn't going to be easy getting through to the prince… and he _hated_ fighting with Marth… He had become so used to the optimistic, hyper, and strangely feminine monarch… but ever since that accidental, yet _lascivious_ kiss in the mansion's empty hallway, their relationship only headed in one direction… _downhill_.

Constant arguing and bickering over the same issue over and over,

"_Do you love me, Ike?"_

It stripped him of his concentration, deprived him of his sleep… He couldn't imagine how this could be affecting Marth. God knows he's almost as sensitive and fragile as Link, but his pride got the best of him.

There was Link, and there was the prince.

What could he say?

He loved them _both…_

"Marth?"

"Yes?"

"You seem to be getting thinner... Are you eating well?"

_How the hell can I eat well knowing that the one I love will never truly return my undying feelings? And why the hell is he worried about me?! That's a sudden switcheroo!_

"I'm fine, _thank you_," Marth coldly snapped back, reaching for the pitcher to refill his empty cup.

But Ike stopped him.

"Marth... _I'm sorry_. For everything..."

"_No_," the prince cut, his eyes also cutting to the mercenary, "No you're not. You don't mean a single word you say and you _know it_. You probably don't _love_ me like you _say_ you do, isn't that right? Is that a tactic of yours? Saying that you 'love' me to get in my—"

"—You know, you're speaking nonsense now, Marth. You know _for a_ _fact_ that I care for you—"

"—STOP FEEDING ME THAT BULLSHIT! I'M TIRED OF IT!"

Marth shot up immediately, fists clenched and veins popping. The entire dining hall muted at the squeaky voice, the curious Smashers focused all of their undivided attention on the small table in the back. The prince noticed all the commotion he was brewing, and sprinted out of the café without warning.

"_Marth!_"

Ike took off after him, leaving everyone else with unanswered questions. But it didn't take the other battlers long to return back to their morning meals.

Marth ran through the many corridors as fast as his feet would allow him, tears leaking down his hot cheeks.

_Please... Please catch me, Ike... Catch me and hold me... Tell me everything will be okay._

"_Marth! Stop!_"

"_No!_"

"Please, just _hear me out!_"

"I'm _done_ with your lies, Ike!"

"_Prince Marth Lowell!_"

_Damn, he's fast..._

He had been tagging along the runaway prince for some time now, a killer cramp aching in his side, but he couldn't give up this easily... If he let Marth go now, he might _never_ get him back...

Ike suddenly noticed the familiar pictures, frames, and decorations that adorned the hallway he chased down Marth in. They made it all the way up to Link's dorm, which was located _way_ on top_. _And speak of the devil and the devil shall appear. There the blonde was; he appeared to be locking his door. Which was, in this case, not very good at the moment. Marth was dashing through the narrow aisles at an unstoppable speed, and Link was smack-dab in the middle of his path. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what would happen next...

"_LINK!_"

The blonde man turned at the sound of his name, but it was a nanosecond too soon. Link was sent spiraling into the wall as Marth collided into him, Ike gazing on from terrible scene from the side lines. He rushed over to his lover's side, but he wished he could chase after Marth who had shortly after fled the "hit and run" scene.

"Baby, you alright...?!"

"_Mmm_... My head hurts a little, and so does my back... but other than that, I'm okay... What's _his_ problem? I thought you talked to him, Ike...?"

"Er—_Yeah!_ I'm going to do that right now! Link, I want you to go see Doctor Mario just in case—I'll handle Marth, _got it?_"

Link blinked.

"Um, _okay_..."

Ike gave him a quick smile, but just as quickly scurried after the wailing prince, heading up another case of stairs.

xXx

"Marth, _please_ open up..."

"No!"

"You're starting to act like a five-year-old—"

"_You're_ starting to act like a _manwhore!_"

Ike huffed. His patience was running out with this man...

Marth had locked himself into his dorm, and it had been ten minutes of nothing but "Open up"s and "No"s going back and forth from both sides of the door. Breakfast had been over, and Link was most likely still visiting Doctor Mario. Maybe he hadn't really gotten that severely hurt, but the impact looked like it took some sort of toll on him.

"Look, Marth... Either you're going to open up and let me talk to you, or I'm leaving. You nearly knocked the wind out of Link and I really need to check on hi—"

"—IT'S _ALWAYS_ ABOUT LINK! You spend all of your time with him, and don't you _dare_ give me that 'He's my lover' shit, because _I'm_ your lover, too, goddamnit! When was the last time _we_ ever did something special?! _Huh?!_ And not _fucking_-wise, either, because we _fuck _all the time! You don't love me, Ike. _You don't_… and I'm a _fool_ to think that you'd _ever_ leave Link for me. Whenever he doesn't feel like having your _cock_ shoved up his ass you _waltz_ right on over to my dorm, seduce me, and have your way with me! And when we're _not_ fucking, I'm arguing with you about _this!_ I'm_ sick_ and fucking _tired_ of being your pretty, little prince toy that you may _manipulate_ whenever you please, Ike! I'm not going to get screwed over again!"

_Ike... You make my heart hurt so bad... Yet the damned thing still loves you..._

_I still love you._

"How _dare_ you say such things! You know _goddamn_ well what you speak of is far from the truth! Open this _fucking_ door _right now_, Marth! _OPEN IT._"

"_Ike_—"

_Don't leave me..._

"—don'ttalk to me like I'm some _child_—"

_I want to hear your voice..._

"—and quit acting like you can help me, because you can't even help your _fucking_ self—"

_You're the only one that'll cure me..._

"—you wouldn't understand, anyway! _Nothing_ penetrates through that thick head of yours—"

_Help me, Ike... _

"—so back _the fuck_ up from my door—take your lame-ass excuses with you—and go tend to your precious Link! _Because that's what you want to do anyway!_"

…_Please don't leave me all alone._

Ike's heart had never felt so heavy in his life... This feeling was far worse than any cut, stab, or slash to his body. Because, well, it was his _body_... and not his _heart_. The two differed exceedingly; Ike was more vulnerable inside than out. A questionable lump manifested itself in the indigo-haired swordsman's throat; he found it very frustrating trying to get rid of it. How long had it been since he's cried...?

"...Marth, you... you don't really mean that... This isn't you speaking—"

"—ARE YOU STILL _THERE?!_ _GO AWAY, IKE! I DON'T WANT TO HEAR YOUR VOICE ANYMORE!_"

Ike lowered his head...

_If that is what you wish... then I shall go._

He quickly swiped the stray droplet away with the back of his head, turning slowly on his heel as he began to journey towards Doctor Mario's office. His pace was agonizingly slow, because that's how his heart felt at the moment...

Heavy... slow... and defeated.

Marth listened carefully for any more traces of the man, but he heard none, much to his discouragement.

_He left! That good-for-nothing bastard left! _

…_I did tell him to leave, but... but I thought... I thought he would at least try a little harder... _

_He must not care that much about me after all... _

The misfortunate prince crumbled himself into a human ball, his broken, weary body quivering as he violently threw up sobs... once again, pitying himself.

xXx

It was easy to order someone to go somewhere, but Link had never gotten seriously injured. Except for the time he had gotten struck by Pikachu's thunderbolt, but he woke up afterward. So he had not the slightest clue to where Doctor Mario's office was; he changed it every year. But visiting the doctor was one of the least worries on spinning around in his head. What was Marth doing running around in the hallways, anyway? And was Ike chasing him? If so, then for what reason?

"..._Ow_."

Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to think so much.

_I hope they work this out soon... Marth's behavior is starting to bother me..._

"—_Jigglypuff!_ Come back here!"

Pit chased the rolling pink fluff down the empty hallways. It appeared that the Pokémon took the helpless angel's weapon hostage for its entertainment, and _would not_ give it back. Link noted that Pit sported a broken wing, which looked very painful even in bandages. There was a slight limp in his walk, too, probably making it extremely difficult to capture the bubbly-eyed Pokémon. Jigglypuff took advantage of this and toyed with the double-ended knife, whooshing it around like a paper airplane.

_Well that's not very nice..._

"_Jigglypuff!_ Bring it here right now!"

"—You know, it's not nice to take things that aren't yours."

The pair suddenly looked up, spotting the green man who somehow appeared right before them.

Pit's cute, little face flourished with pink.

"Link..."

The blonde bent over to the startled Jigglypuff, smiling.

"Give Pit his weapon back, or I'll have to get Ike on you... I'm sure you know how much he hates Pokémon, right?"

Jigglypuff's wide, sea-green eyes boiled with sparkly tears. It cowered away from Link, running as fast as those little feet could carry it, tossing the weapon into the air. Link grasped it, handing it over to the reddened angel.

"There you go."

"Th-thanks..."

"Don't mention it... Sorry for my rudeness, but, whatever happened to your wing?"

Pit jumped.

"Oh! That! Happens all the time during fights... I've grown used to it. Doctor Mario's one of the best doctors I've ever met, so it'll heal in no time...!"

_Doctor Mario!_

"_Ah!_ Speaking of the doctor… Would you mind showing me where his office is? He changes it every year, and I've never come across an incident to where I absolutely had to go, Marth accidentally knocked me down pretty good today... My heads starting to spin."

"_S-Sure!_"

Link smiled gratefully at the innocent angel, Pit's heart leaping in his chest.

* * *

That's long. I write too much, I tell you. Ho ho... Pit's joining the Brawl... I know it only says IkeXMarth, IkeXLink and MarthXRoy, but Pit's a minor character... He doesn't become that big... _Or does he?_ We shall see - w '-

Bet you didn't see that coming. Yes, of course, I know you didn't. And I know Doctor Mario isn't in Brawl, but he is in my fic. SORRY FOR MAKING MARTH SO ANGSTY (or is that good...?), and yeah... I wrote the most crappiest oral scene in the universe -mentally beats self up- But I guess you get it, Link basically sucked Ike's penis xDDD It's one-freaking-o' clock in the morning and I'm still typing this!! Gah! I'm going to wake up with a severe head ache tomorrow Dx But it's all worth it for the reviews. WHICH MAKE ME SO VERY HAPPY!!

Speaking of those, I have to get to them!

**MercuryLion:** -squeals- I'M SO GLAD YOU LIKE IT! x3 "Slices of hell" LOL. Roy must've loved Marth a lot to keep those things... I would've chucked them at Marth if he had ever gave me something like that to eat xD THANK YOU SO MUCH AGAIN! -bows- HERE'S A SPECIAL COOKIE FOR YOU! -hands over M&M cookie-

**Sachiko V:** Moving on is never easy... But who says you get over it? O.o I'm glad you liked the cookie scene! I enjoyed writing it! It tickled me pink xD

**A is for Angst: **I'm ecstatic that you enjoyed that little bit! Roy will be here soon, but everyone's lives have to get even more fucked up before that can happen... -gasp- O.o IS THIS FORESHADOWING? THANKS SO MUCH FOR REVIEWING! YOU GET A FREE COOKIE! -gives you a rainbow M&M cookie-

**Rayestar Ikina: **NYAH! The cookie scene was a success!! Cx Dot eyes would be incredibly cute, wouldn't they? Yes, Marth was much MUCH different back then. He was happier... He had Roy... poor thing, poor thing... Ho shizz. I actually make an effort to proof read my things sometimes (that is, if I'm not too lazy). I go to English II honors this year (OH YEAH! SKIPPED ENGLISH ONE!!) and I know my teacher is going to HATE my handwriting. I put circles over my "I"'s instead of dots, and I write freaking humongous! My friend writes exceptionally small, and she usually sends me a letter only using one sheet of paper front and back. Me on the other hand, my letters are equivalent to that, except I send her FOUR PAGES FRONT AND BACK OF MY HIDEOUS HANDWRITING. Maybe sensei won't be so harsh on me...

**The Mad Joker:** Aww, don't feel sad! Since he's already hit rock bottom, there's nowhere else to go but up, right...? Or... more deeper into the soil, but, I think rock bottom means "rock bottom". When you really love someone to the point where you'd do anything to have them, oh yeah, you'd get really greedy. Nothing else matters but getting him/her into your arms, and you don't give a fuck about anyone around you but yourself. Take it from me -raises hand- I have hands-on experience xD He'll feel sorry. Because _**NO ONE**_ HURTS LINK EXCEPT FOR** ME, DAMMIT**.

**xXAngelic ScarsXx:** Girly Emo Marths equals fun to write. That kind of what my Marth is like, I think. 'Cept he doesn't wear makeup. Or does he? -waves hands- _Wooooo..._ O w O

**Panda-chan101:** Ike isn't all that bad. Except for his PAIN-SAKING SLOWNESS. I think it's because Ragnell weighs... Like, what? Two hundred pounds or something? He wields it with one hand, so it has to be heavy. OMFG I KEPT THINKING HE WAS REPLACED BY LUCARIO SINCE EVERYONE KEEPS SAYING THAT! I have never played the Melee game in my life, so I had no idea... It'd be awesome if I found, like, half of Roy's leg doing Subspace thing or something like that xD Isn't there a Roy "Sticker" though? O.o I'm not so sure if we have it if there is one...

**Midnight Crystal Sage:** You CRIED! I DON'T THINK I ACTUALLY MADE ANYONE CRY BEFORE! Cx Yes, poor Link and Roy, but one did it for the sake of their friend, and the other to show how much love he had for the prince. COOKIES HAVE MAGICAL POWERS! xD

**TobiAkatsukiLover:** THANK YOU SO MUCH!! And I'm glad you reviewed! I'm a sorry excuse for a writer, so bear with me! I honestly didn't think people would like the cookie part this much, but I'm so very happy many of you loved it! My favorite part was when their eye's twitched. I LOL'd at that for five minutes. COOKIE FOR YOU! And don't worry, I didn't let Marth make them xD -gives M&M chocolate chip cookie-

**Wind Kaizer:** "GO GO POWER RANGERS!" xDDD OMG, I remember watching the very first episode. I even had the pink ranger's action figure! I'd push her head, and her helmet would come off showing her real face Cx I had to actually look up how many bicuspids the human mouth had, some said five, six, four, EIGHT O.O So I went with four instead... I enjoyed writing that part too; it's also one of my favorites!! Roy will come back! I promise! Gravity, huh? I'll have to try that one sometime xD

**Ernoma:** YAAAAY! I'm safe! Oh, he will feel bad, because Link is my hunny bunches, too! n w n

_Done!_

I started playing Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess on Wii today :3 My brother hardly ever plays it because he's **TERRIFIED** of those monsters that come out and surprise attack him (He's only nine xD But I swear to you, the dude can play a video game...). I wanted to name Link "Mr. Yum Yums" But due to the limited spaces, I could only put "YumYums" and I named the horse "YuuYuu" (I know, "Who the hell names a horse "Yuu Yuu"?! Eh, oh well...). _**UWAAAH!**_ FARM BOY LINK IS SO _**CUTE!!**_ -squeezes farm boy Link plushie doll- IT MAKES ME LOVE LINK MORE AND MORE!!

O.o

Eh... Off topic! So, what's going to happen in the next chapter? Well, there will be fluffy **IkeXMarth**ness for a change! And don't worry, Link won't die from his head injury. I don't think that I have it in my heart to write that... OR EVEN THINK ABOUT IT! Gomen for my careless mistakes in the chapter, it's two o' clock AM now (Ha, like one of KK Rider's songs... He has traumatized me for life) and even though I'm a night owl, staring at a bright screen all day really hurts my eyes...

With that said, review, ne?

Much Love,

HokageAkamaru


	8. Sleepless Beauties

Title: A Lover's Brawl

Pairing(s): **IkeXLink**,** IkeXMarth**, Eventual** MarthXRoy**, Eventual** PitXLink**

Rating: M

**Full Story:** _Link has always been the quiet, shy type. That is… until Ike came into his life. Since then, Ike and Link have been an inseparable item ever since they've laid eyes on each other. Marth, coping with his broken heart after the disappearance of his very own lover—Roy—had secretly loved Ike from the beginning. But it was too late, Link was the only one on Ike's mind._

_With his seductive powers and body, he lures Ike to him, the both of them sharing many nights together. And ever since, Ike has not been able to let him—nor his delicious shape—go. Link is totally unaware of this, Ike constantly lying to him about his whereabouts to protect he and his prince's relationship. With whole-hearted trust, Link believes every single word._

_Marth wants a fully committed relationship with Ike—tired of hiding it—and he will do anything to get it, even if that means hurting one of the people that he loves the most._

_But there is one more person that complicates this plot._

_Someone who watches his crush from afar._

_(This story takes place after Super Smash Brother's Melee, the reason why Roy is "missing")_

**A/N:** Ahhn... _yeah_. I'm _waaaaaay_ late Dx _GOMEN FOR THE LONG WAIT! GOMEN GOMEN GOMEN! _(_will_ explain at the end) But despite it all, YAY! Another chapter! I hope you all are pleased! Because I deserve to be thrown into a pit of fire for the way I write! xDDD THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THE KIND **REVIEWS/ALERTS**!

**I love and cherish each and every one of them! **o w oThey really inspire me to do my** ultimate** best, _ne!_

Hmm, let's-a see here… **IkeXLink**ness, **IkeXMarth**ness, and little **LinkXPit**ness! My favorites!

Enjoy Chapter Seven, my lovelies, my longest one yet! **12,000+** words! That's like... _DOUBLE_ my usual chapter!

* * *

_Palutena… You've answered my prayers at last! Thank you so very much for the luck you have bestowed upon me today! I cannot believe that I am actually walking side by side with Link! I feel so happy yet terrified all at once! I wonder if that's normal… I wonder if liking someone of the same gender is normal... I don't wholly understand all of these feelings that I'm going through as clearly as some of the others would… which could be very frustrating at times… but I do know that when I look at Link… I get very warm, and I just noticed that my cheeks turn red! There's no way that I can stop it! It's just… automatic! I get these strange, out-of-the-blue urges. I haven't the slightest clue where they come from! Honest! All I have to do is catch a small glimpse of my beloved Link, and for some reason I'd really want to give him a hug... or just lay my head upon his chest and listen to the beat of his heart… or give him a kiss… _

_Ah! _

_But I bet Ike wouldn't like that! He seems really scary... _

_Grr, why did he have to steal the heart of my darling Link first…? _

"I'm sorry, Pit… but did you say something?"

"—_Gah! N-N-No! I-I didn't say anything at all!_"

Link soothingly massaged his temple, knitting his eyebrows together. What he thought was just a teeny, harmless headache was turning out to be something more serious after all. Not to mention that his lower backside was beginning to be bothersome, too. What the hell did Ike do that was so devastating to Marth it caused him to hightail it down the corridors like a maniac, thus eventually ramming Link _head first_ into the wall? It was a miracle that he hadn't shattered his skull… Or had he?

"…I apologize; I'm probably just hearing noises from outside… It's like every little sound has been magnified… Maybe it's this headache that's getting to me… _Mmm…_ It's gotten a bit worse in the past few minutes, actually…"

…_Oh no! While I was busy swooning over my childish fantasies, Link's hasn't been getting any better! And by the pace we're going—what if he passes out, and I can't revive him?! What if we don't make it in time?! Then who's to blame?! GAH! Even worse, Ike would surely be very, very upset with me! And something tells me that I don't want to see an upset Ike!_

Pit snagged Link's hand—cheeks glowing—galloping as fast as he could, tolerating the protestant, injured wing.

"_Well!_ We better hurry up, then!"

xXx

Marth shared a tight embrace with one of his satin pillows, lying tummy-up comfortably on his bed. The poor man cried so much it physically wore him out… Icky grease and salty, dried tear streaks dirtied up his gorgeous face… He unanimously decided not to compete in the matches today. The crowd would be very displeased, and he hated to let his die-hard Marth fans down, but there was just too much going on in his personal life…

A few minutes earlier, Marth emerged from a nice, easeful bubble bath decked out in expensive candles, dry, scented rose petals, an all too comfy loofa, and his long time favorite, treasured rubber ducky—Oswald. Sadly for Oswald, Marth was not in the mood for splash time. The prince could somehow sense that poor, little Oswald the yellow duckling felt _very_ sad that he did not find the time in having fun with him, or blowing bubbles in his face… Those painted on dots bored holes into the prince's glistening, exposed skin, but Marth did not have time for such juvenile games. That bath's sole purpose was to put every negative feeling that pestered him to rest, leaving it behind for good just like the dirtied water that whirl-pooled down the drain.

But not even that ritual bath brought him peace… It left his skin baby-soft and creamy, but that certainly did not make him feel any better…

The distressed prince sighed, curling up against the feather-fluffed pillow like a napping kitten on a rainy day, digging his perfect, pointy nose into the rich, authentic material, sighing his sorrows away.

Marth bat his eyelashes.

Was it him… or did this particular pillow reek_ terribly _of Ike's scent?

He took another sigh.

_Mmm…_

Yes, this most definitely without a doubt Ike's unique odor. He could notice that cinnamon-y scent from anywhere…

The last time they were intimate—and by "intimate", meaning penetrating sex—with one another was approximately a week ago—and yes, Marth was counting. How Ike survived a week without ramming the stuck-up ego out of the pretty man was beyond his current understanding. But—nevertheless—all the prince had to do was recall that beautiful, heavenly night of spiritual, wholesome lovemaking… and instantaneously, all was forgiven.

_Flashback…_

"_I love you_" was all Marth could muster at the moment. He couldn't breathe, and the air was thick, humid and tense… simply because the two men were having delicious sex under the lush, heavy, layered sheets. The prince had forgotten how they actually wound up underneath the covers rather than on top… but he didn't mind. Not at all; in fact, it _enhanced_ the mood… Marth had never felt so euphoric… so intimate with the mercenary… so _dirty_.

He was _having sex _with his _best friend's boyfriend_… and he didn't feel one ounce of guilt or remorse during it all… He actually couldn't, not while Ike was on top of him, their bodies drenched in sweat... And yet neither gave it a second thought. Not even Marth, to the other man's astonishment.

The young man squirming helplessly beneath the indigo-haired sex god clawed mercilessly at his back, begging Ike… _pleading _to Ike to bless him with more of that ruthless, scrum-diddly-umptous thrusting. This was no "quick fuck". It was far from it. Marth was pretty sure Ike was not making love to him just because Link turned him down for tonight. They've been canopied by those dampened sheets for about thirty minutes, and the prince could not even begin to describe the many feelings that greeted him in between that time frame.

"Ike—_Ahh_—So hot_…_" sobbed the young prince, punctually meeting each and every savory thrust.

"_Shh—Nn—Keep it down, love…_"

It seemed to Ike as if Marth did not give the slightest care if someone barged in on them right then and there.

"I can't—_Ike~!_"

The taller man descended upon his wailing prince, capturing those bright, scarlet lips, cooing coaxingly to them, "…_I'm right here,_ _honey. I'm not going anywhere_…"

"_Ahh—Haaah—_"

There was nothing in the world—the _universe_—that wielded enough power to utterly suppress Marth's unsustainable, beautiful cry. The moment those thin lips parted, the situation was totally out of Ike's hands.

"—_Ah._"

Marth's eyes flew open—locking his gaze with the other's azure gems that stared fixatedly back at him—mouth gaped, gagging on a couple silent screams. Now Ike wasn't expecting that. The young prince quaked beneath his beloved, unable to ride out the overpowering orgasm, his sweet, white nectar blanketing both their abdomens.

"Marth…? _Sweetheart?_"

The prince returned to his senses at the husky base in Ike's voice.

"…Wow. I don't think I've ever had such an intense orgasm…"

Ike lifted the covers, cool, refreshing air greeting their tired bodies. He peered down upon Marth, who closely resembled a ripened tomato. The taller man chuckled, ruffling his bangs.

"You have _come_ in your hair…"

"_Gee_, Ike… _Thanks_ for rubbing it in…"

Ike sweetly pecked his hot cheek.

"Anytime… _Hey_… Let's bathe together. One of those long bubble baths, you know, with the scented oils and all that other stuff you like so much… and, just to let you know, I'm not bathing with that duck in the tub. He looks at me funny."

The prince sharply gasped, eyes lighting up like a child on Christmas day. Ike had the time to _bathe_ with him?! On nights like these, he would've been struggling to button up his pants!

"_Ike?!_ You—you actually have the time to take a bath with me?! _A bubble bath?!_"

It was an innocent question, but, why did the other swordsman feel… _convicted_?

"_Of course, babe_… I can always make time for you."

Sometimes...

Rarely...

_Never._

Ike pulled the sweaty bangs behind his prince's ear; Marth's gorgeous, cerulean eyes shimmering with contentment, love and affection. He noted by the glint in those beauteous eyes that something as common as a bubble bath was a real treat to him, which ached his heavy heart.

The young prince enwrapped the indigo-haired man, giggling with glee.

"_I'm so happy_… this is the best day _ever… Thank you_, Ike… I-I love you."

Ike blinked.

"…I love you, too."

_Minutes Later…_

Was this… a _dream?_

Ike holding him…? The two of them all snug and warm in his spacious, comfortable bed…? The two of them were straight out of the bath tub, wearing nothing but a thin tee and cottony trousers. Marth felt light-headed, drifting away in a sea of unconsciousness. Lying on Ike's chest and being cradled in such strong, protective arms like a feeble, defenseless infant felt better than anything he's ever experienced… Well, next to falling in love with Roy… but that didn't count anymore. Ike was here now, gently rocking him, kissing his forehead and humming some sweet melody in his ear… It seemed like hours and hours flew by, the prince becoming drowsier from the unbelievable warmth and drunker off of Ike's lovely tune.

"…Marth?"

…No response.

It was well past midnight, and he had told Link that he'd be spending a night alone in his dorm. He was so content and secure at the moment… all he wanted was to keep holding Marth's body and spend the rest of the moonless night with him, but he knew very well that he couldn't. In the morning, Link would most likely take a pit stop by his room and wake him for training, and he didn't want to risk the chance of them being caught…

Ike softly shook his sleeping beauty, bouncing him lightly in his lap.

"…_Mmn_."

"_Ah…_ You're awake…"

Marth wiggled his hips a bit.

"…I dozed off… _M'sorry_…"

"No, it's alright… _Marth…?_"

"…_Hn?_"

"…_I have to go_—"

"—_No!_"

Like the adorable koala he was, the smaller of the two clung onto his paramour, and would not let go for anything in the world. Marth roughly nestled his flushed face into Ike's shoulder blade, forcefully tugging at his tee.

"I don't want you to go!I don't want you to leave! I want you to _stay_…_ in bed_…_ with me… Please?_"

Ike sighed, "Marth—_sweetie_—I can't stay here… I'd love to, but... I _can't_. What if Link… _you know…?_ Caught us like this? And I'm certainly not ready to tell him about us—"

"—I'm so tired of_ this_, Ike… I hate _this_ so much… When will you finally be able make love to me without having to rush? Without having to look over your shoulder every two to three seconds…? When will I _at long last_ stop waking up to an empty bed, and instead in these two, beautiful arms that belong to the one I love ever so dearly…? When, Ike…? _When will you be ready…?! I'm tired of only having half of you!_ I want _all of you,_ Ike!_ When can I have that?!_"

…Ike couldn't say anything at that moment.

"...When will you_ fully_ love me?"

…There was nothing Ike _could_ say.

So instead, he dug deep down into his heart, his conscious, _his soul_… searching… actually making an effort in finding the exact words to say to his sniffling prince, the _exact_ words to match the _exact_ feelings that flowed through his human veins, because this was not easy. But he got himself into this tussle, after all... Ike wholly embraced the trembling man that lay on top of him, whispering calm and collectively into his red ears, "I don't know. I honestly _do not know_. I _do_ know _for a fact_ that I'm in love with you—_all of you, every inch of you_—and I _also_ know for a fact that I love Link… It's... It's hard on me, Marth. _It's hard…_ Predicaments like these aren't always easy to deal with."

The prince sniffled, "It's hard on me, too, you know... _You're not only one_."

"_I know, I know..._ It's probably two times tougher on you, though, huh?"

"Try a _hundred_... Now _that's_ more like it..."

"...I'm sorry. If it's tearing me up inside like this, then I can't begin to _imagine_ what this is doing to you. I just don't know how you manage to take all of this—I don't know how _I_ manage to take all of this," Ike massaged is forehead, "_I'm not as strong as people presume_."

Prince Marth looked into his forbidden lover's darkening eyes… He gave him a soulful kiss, and then mutter these heartfelt words, "You _are _strong, Ike. We bothare. We'll get through this, babe. _Together_. I know we will. We got ourselves into this, and we can surely get ourselves out. It may be hard now, and I'm sure it won't get any easier in the future... but we'll find a way. I won't give up on you... _Not ever._ Because I love you so much."

Ike smiled, pecking his cute nose.

"Would you ever... _give up on me?_" the monarch questioned lightly, peering intensely into his paramour's fine, blue eyes.

The mercenary blinked; it took a while for him to find the answer, if there _was_ an answer for a question like that.

"—If you can't answer it truthfully... _then don't answer it at all_. I'll understand..."

"Ahh… thanks, sweetie."

"But before you leave, _I'm going to need a weeks' worth of kisses and hugs from you…!_"

Ike lifted his chin, their foreheads grazing against one another.

"Now, _that_ I can do..."

_End Flashback..._

xXx

"Ah, _Pit!_ Back-a so soon?"

The young angel took a deep breath, taking a minute to catch his breath.

"Link… needs… _medical attention!_"

Doctor Mario rubbed his chin.

"Really? Well-a then, let's-a not waste anymore time!"

The doctor grasped Link's hand, showing him over to one of the few hospital beds. Link took a seat on the edge, watching Doctor Mario was he rummaged through his congested drawers for who knows what. Pit sat on his usual stool, which was also nearest to the Hyrulean, a benefit to him, cutting his amethyst eyes to and fro from his crush, concern evident in them.

_I hope he is okay…_

Meanwhile, Link took this opportunity to observe his surroundings.

The fluorescent lights were ever so blinding, which did not contribute well to his massive headache. The room smelled of nothing but alcohol and rubber gloves. On the walls Link saw that the doctor put some effort in making his office seem less of a white-walled panic room with bright and decorative posters, immediately demanding his attention. There were ones of the human body: complete with the nervous system, the digestive system, and so on and so forth. There were also some special anatomy posters for non-human patients, like Sonic or Jigglypuff.

Link directed his attention over to the doctor's desk; it drooled papers from all directions. Behind it dangled multiple framed rewards, certificates and medals all addressed to Doctor Mario. Probably for his excellent works… Judging from his disheveled desk, Link honestly could not see how he was ever awarded... _anything_. Nearby was a rather immense sink, and a couple jars filled with typical, medical items like cotton balls, cotton swabs… a box of latex gloves could also be spotted next to a container of the ever-promising, flavor-assorted lollipops—possibly for the younger patients, i.e. Ness and Lucas.

At the end of the counter were the common doctor utensils: a stethoscope, a opthalmoscope, blood pressure cuff, scalpels, rather _large_ scalpels, scalpels that looked like they could be used for other _messy_, important purposes and one tool that favored a wrench or something along those lines… Link prayed he would not ever have to be introduced to that instrument. Actually, he never wanted to come back to the office again!

"Pardon my mess-a, Link… I'm-a just so busy these days, I can-a never find the time to clean!"

Doctor Mario sat in a black, mobile stool, clipboard and pen in hand.

"Well-a, before I diagnose-a your problem, since-a this is your first visit, I must ask-a you a couple-a questions… Do you have any allergies?"

"Um… Not that I know of—"

"—Have-a you had-a any previous surgeries?"

"…No—"

"—Are you-a sexually active?"

"_What?_"

Doctor Mario peered up at his patient from his clipboard.

"_Are you-a sexually active? _I must mark-a this_._"

Link's cheeks glowed an amazingly cute, red color. Pit mirrored his crush's actions, anxiously awaiting the answer, but, deep down, part of him really didn't want to hear it.

Or he couldn't.

"…Must I _really…?"_

"Yes, I'm afraid."

The blonde sighed.

"…Yes. Ike is my partner."

The angel bit his lip...

Doctor Mario, arched a brow, pitching him a questionable glance, and nearly wrote a paragraph of new information onto Link's portfolio paper.

The doctor bombed Link with other supposedly substantial inquiries, performed an awkward head examination, and then finally cut down to the chase.

"Well-a, what seems-a to be the problem?"

"I was just about to join Ike and Marth for breakfast, pretty much knowing that we could not squeeze a bit of training in since I woke up late... I vividly remember stepping out of my dorm, preparing to lock the door. The next thing I knew—or remembered—Ike yelled my name. Instinctively, I turned towards his voice... Then, there was white-hot pain that stretched from my forehead to my backside faster than anything I've ever felt... Marth ran head first into me... Everything went black for a split second, and soon enough, I found myself in Ike's arms... I guess I blacked out longer than that, I don't know, but Ike was pretty panicky. He asked me if I was alright, and at that moment, I actually felt fine. My head was tingling a bit, but other than that, I felt okay. But he wanted me to go and see you, doctor, just to make sure... I've never been to your office before, so as I headed down the stairs, I kept my eyes out for what would probably look like an infirmary. That's when I unexpectedly ran into Pit and Jigglypuff..."

Link gently smiled at the boy; Pit cut his eyes away with a noticeable smile on his lips.

"He led me here to you, doctor, and I'm very thankful that he did, because I'm beginning to feel a little nauseated..."

Doctor Mario nodded, his ballpoint pen scratching against the paper. It took a while before the medic spoke another word, worrying the blonde quite a bit. Pit anxiously awaited the results, too, praying to his goddess that Link had no life-threatening injuries…

…because he would never cease scolding himself.

"_Well?_ Is... Link going to be alright—?"

"—_Link?_"

The doctor, Pit, and the bewildered Link immediately focused their attention to the door. It was none other than Ike, who found his lover just as quickly.

"_Ike?_"

The indigo-haired man glided in haste over to Link, his travel worn cape billowing. The smaller of the couple just stared blankly at the other… What brought him here? Link knew for sure due to past experiences that it took some time to get through to the stubborn, proud prince. If Ike got through to him that fast, what had Link been doing wrong all this time? Or maybe the two had already made up... Yes, that was reasonable, but wouldn't he and Marth already be out on the fields waiting for their names to be called?

Ike stood before his confused love, cupping his entire spiked head into his warm palms. Ike's azure gems flooded over with emotions, many of them Link could not even comprehend. It was quite a shock; he had never seen the usually cocky, arrogant eyes display such traceable feelings...

"_I'm so sorry_... This is all my fault, babe..." whispered Ike, gradually closing the lonely gap between them as he gently tilted Link's head a little higher.

Ike greeted Link's plump lips with a beautifully-soft, apologetic kiss. The blonde lost himself in it, along with his senses, a little curl in his toes.

Pit lowered his gaze from the public display of affection, hanging his head in apparent defeat... his hopes and dreams easily crushed by one, sensuous kiss.

_How could someone like me possibly compete with... with someone like Ike...?_

_It... It isn't fair._

Their intimate kiss ended, but Ike's cradling hands lingered. Link—overwhelmed—stared powerfully back into his lover's pupils, which had now returned to their mutual, secretive state.

_...Ike?_

"Doctor... Is there anything wrong? _Is he alright?_" Ike questioned, but continuing to hold the strong eye contact he held with his mate. Doctor Mario—who wasn't any other shade of color excluding red—returned to his senses.

"—_Ah! Yes! _I was-a just about to get to that! Well, as far as I can-a see, Link should-a be perfectly fine! But... there is one-a thing you should-a be a little concerned with. If you-a push yourself too far Link, there is a very high you-a passing out, bringing it down-a to this... I recommend you to refrain-a from today's events and-a rest! _Tomorrow you should-a be A-Okay!_"

Gingerly, Link removed Ike's hands from his cheeks, peering over at the doctor.

"_But—!_ That means that I cannot fight today! And—! But... Doctor, I _want _to fight!"

"_Honey_, you heard what the doctor said... If you can't participate in the matches today, you just can't... _I don't want you getting hurt again_... You really scared me yesterday with Pikachu's thunderbolt..."

He planted a sweet kiss to his blonde's forehead, murmuring other heart-achingly sweet nothings...

_He's acting a little strange... _

"I'll take it from here, doctor! Link could be pretty hardheaded sometimes! I wouldn't want him sneaking out, so I'll keep a close eye on him!"

"_Hey!_"

_Ike's certainly back now..._

Ike courteously helped his lover down from the hospital bed. Link blushed, a little embarrassed by the chivalrous action, but internally flattered... Doctor Mario smiled at the couple, lazily rolling over in his doctor's stool to the counter.

"I'm-a glad to hear that, Ike! Now Link... What-a flavor do you want? _Cherry? Lemonade? Strawberry?_"

"_Oh!_ Um, no thanks... But thank you for the offer, thank you for everything."

"_Don't-a mention it!_"

Ike pecked the shell of Link's elfin ear.

"Let's get going..."

"O-Okay..."

The two headed for the nearest and only exit, hand in hand; Link had forgotten something. He stopped dead in his tracks.

"Pit?"

The young boy shot straight up, receiving a sharp jolt of pain from his upper back as punishment for moving so suddenly.

"Y-Yes?!"

"I almost forgot... Thank you very much for leading me here... I wish you and your unfortunate wing a speedy recovery."

"Th-Thank you! _You too!_ I-I hope you feel better, too! _Heh!_"

The blonde giggled cutely, "You've very welcome, Pit. I'll be seeing you tomorrow, hopefully... Good bye."

Pit fixatedly watched the shorter man shuffle his way out of the office, Ike dragging him along by the hand. The angel felt somewhat jealous… why wouldn't he? But there was one thing he was sure of from the depths of his heart—or at least his newly-surfacing hormones—a special gift from mother nature that came along with the many years of adolescence…

…He knew that Link was damn fine.

xXx

This headache was doing everything else but making poor Link feel better. Even the simple task of undressing became a long-term goal. He definitely was going to have a talk with Ike soon... what was going on with the two most important people in his life? Marth certainly was not acting like himself at all for the past few weeks. _And Ike?_ Well, he could never tell what was up with that zealous man. Everything was a joke to him, so it was always a challenge for Link to read his lover's feelings as he burned holes into those playful, oceanic eyes...

But the incident in Doctor Mario's office...

Ike's eyes... They glittered with alarming emotions one moment, and then the next he couldn't get so much of a twinkle... Which took Link aback.

_Waaaaay_ aback.

Link knew Ike all too well—or so he personally thought. Usually, the man would go to all lengths to hide his true feelings from his little love. He and Marth easily allowed their pride get in the way of revealing their true feelings... What was wrong about sharing how you felt with the people you could trust?

At last, Link managed to get his green, combat tunic over his head, a heavy sigh of relief flowing effortlessly from his pink lips.

Something dropped.

Something wrapped in plastic.

Something… _green_.

Candy, maybe?

But when did he ask for candy?

Link was sure he politely rejected the doctor's lollipop offer...

He bent over a bit to get a closer, more accurate look.

"_What the...?_"

A condom.

It was a condom.

A green, latex condom.

_Doctor Mario... He probably slipped it into my pocket somehow. I won't be needing this..._

Link threw the colored latex behind his back, not really caring where it landed, as long as it was out of his sight.

He neatly folded the clothes, placing them back inside of the drawers from which they came, and looked within the others for some lighter attire for bed. And to Link's surprise, all of his clothes had been washed! And get this: they were ironed and creased, stacking in an orderly, organized pile! Ike couldn't have done all this. It was humanly impossible. Just lifting a finger would _kill_ the man. But, other than him, who else could've gone through all the trouble for such a good deed? Could it be Marth? No... He and Marth really hadn't spent any time with one another... In addition to that, the prince had been going through one of his royal, cranky, mood swings again.

Set on top of his clothes, was a tiny card with chicken scratch-like handwriting littered all over it.

_Dear Sweetheart,_

_Yep! I washed your clothes! Surprised? Well, ya shouldn't be! You do lots for me, so I had to pay you back somehow! You asked me ever so nicely to do the laundry... Hope you're happy! I love you!_

_- Ike_

_That big lummox_, Link thought with a smile, reaching blindly yet carefully into the middle cabinet for a pair of leisure shorts. He didn't want to tarnish his perfectly-piled linens. Out came red shorts, which he slipped on immediately afterwards. He went over to his top left that concealed his solid colored tees, repeating the exact same action. This time, the color was pink.

A beautiful, baby-pink.

But… since when did Link own a baby-pink tee?

At this point, it didn't matter... all he desired at the moment was a deep, peaceful sleep in hopes of easing his _mother_ of a head ache away. He hated the fact that he didn't get to participate in the matches because of that infamous thunderbolt yesterday... They hadn't called his name at all after that incident—maybe they didn't want him to get hurt again, you know, for safety reasons—disappointing him ever more. Link was so eager to finally get at least one more shot in the stadium today, but he didn't foresee a certain prince banging him upside his head, disqualifying him yet again.

_Well, it's no use crying over spilled milk..._

The Hyrulean lifted the ultra feminine-colored article of clothing over his head, poking his slim arms through the rather tight holes... Getting his head through wasn't exactly a walk in the park, either. Was the shirt was two sizes too small?!

Link didn't know how he did it, but he wiggled his way through the narrow opening, face flushed.

Ike was right: he _did_ have big head.

The pink, fitted shirt hugged his lean, curvaceous frame like a second skin. With him being a self-proclaimed expert in hues, he noticed that the soft, coral color complimented his bronze, sun-kissed skin, putting a bit of a smirk onto those seductive, stout lips of his. Whosever shirt this was, they weren't getting it back anytime soon.

Link smiled, pulling the rest of his shirt over his tummy.

He pulled...

…and pulled...

…and pulled.

The shirt refused to cover the rest of his lower half. Or maybe it was because the shirt was indeed two sizes too small!

_Bingo._

That explained why Link could barely poke his head through the hole, or breathe correctly for that matter. The constricting piece of clothing stopped just inches above his navel.

And then—faster than the way Marth slapped his lights out—it hit him. It hit him _hard._

_Ike...!_

Link raided all of his drawers, not giving the slightest care about spoiling his neatly folded clothes. They were all the same! Tight, shrunken, and their once, vibrant colors were faded!

There was a soft knock at the door.

Link sighed. How could he answer a door dressed in something as trivial was this!

After what seemed like hours of debate, the blonde bashfully opened the door, poking only his head through an accommodating sized crack.

"_Ahh_, you're still awake? I thought you'd be sound asleep by now..." Ike greeted.

"Oh, it's _you_..."

Ike folded his arms, becoming eye level with him.

"_Were you expecting someone else?_" Ike peered into Link's room, "...And is there a reason why you're hiding behind the door? I mean, if you're naked, that's fine. S'nothing that I haven't seen before... _Unless_... You're hiding someone in there. _You are_, aren't you? _Is it Snake? I_ _knew it!_ I didn't like the way he was looking at you that one day! _Snake! __I'm kicking your ass, pal!_"

Ike tried barging into his lover's room, but the blonde one stopped him from doing so.

"—_No!_ No, you _dolt!_ Snake's not—_No one's_ hiding in my room! And I—"

"—There better not be. _This succulent body of yours belongs to me and only me_... and I _ain't_ plannin' on _sharin'_ anytime soon..." Ike growled.

Link blushed as Ike planted a sloppy, wet, possessive kiss onto his lips.

_...where did that come from?_

"I... I wasn't expecting anyone, much less_ you_... I thought you'd be somewhere out around the stadium, with Marth and the others—"

"—And leave my pookie all alone to fend off his nasty headache all by himself?! Now, that'd be irresponsible of me as a lover! Since you're not feeling too well, I gotta take care of you! Plus, Marth is... _pretty pissed_..."

"..._I saw_."

_Now that he mentions it, Ike did change out of his armor... Is going to skip the battles—and I know how much he loves to compete—just to stay... with me? _

"You don't have to stay... I'll be fine, _really_—"

"—_Nonsense!_ I'm going to stay here and make sure you don't try and sneak out of your dorm. _I know you all too well_... And may I please come in? It feels so very strange having to talk to your head. I'd rather talk to yourbody, you know._.._"

Link blew heavily through his nostrils, flashing his eyes up at the ceiling.

"That reminds me of what I was going to talk to you about... Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not naked. I might as well be, though, but that's not why I'm upset..." Link swung open the door—his wardrobe exposed—hand resting at his hip.

Ike felt a certain part of his body twitch.

"Uh—_Wow._ What happened?"

"_Funny_... That's _exactly_ what I was going to ask you. _Come in_..."

Casually, Ike entered his lover's dorm, taking his usual spot—back against the bed post. The shorter man shut the door, pacing the waxed, hardwood floor.

"Ike? Remember when I asked you to do some of my laundry for me?"

"...Yeah. 'Member."

"And do you recall when I _clearly_ warned you _not_ to put my tees in the dryer, but to hang-dry them?"

Ike scratched his chin, "...Didn't you tell me that right before I was about to come that one night? I believe you_ did_... _Talk about a turnoff_..."

The blonde reddened tremendously.

"_I—! Well—!_ _Anyway_, I still got my point across! I didn't want them going in the dryer, but now look! The shirt won't even go past my navel! These are one hundred percent cotton, Ike! _One hundred percent!_ You can't expose cotton to heat for a very long time because it'll _shrink!_ Now look what you've done to all of my shirts! How am I supposed to—?"

Everything became cloudy and hazy to the indigo haired man; Link's soft voice deteriorated into nothing but endless echoes...

_Marth..._

_I'm sorry... _

_I'm so sorry. But you must allow me to explain myself to you._

_I hate having these fights with you._

_I hate seeing you cry._

_Most of all, I hate knowing that I'm the cause of your unhappiness._

_It hurts me._

_Because I want to be the only one who makes you smile when nobody else can._

_With just a curl of my lips..._

_Or a simple kiss..._

_And I know how much you love Link's Key Lime pie._

_A huge slice of that would make you the happiest, little prince on this planet, no doubt… _

_I should get you some._

_I'm not going to give you up that easily, Marth._

_You should know me by now. _

_If you're going to keep avoiding me like this, I hope you install some new locks on your door, because nothing will keep me from_—

"—_Ike!_"

"—Er—Yeah...?"

Link crossed his arms over his chest.

"Are you even _listening_ to me?"

"Um... Yeah, Yeah I am!"

"Liar... You didn't even hear a word I just said," pouted the short, green-loving man.

_Here he goes..._

"_Yeah! Yeah I did!_ I heard you!"

"_Really?_ Well then, what did I just get through talking about?"

Ike had to think on this one. Link gave him some time, tapping his bare foot on the floor, his patience short fused.

"_See?_ You weren't paying attention to me... but that shouldn't be a surprise. Usually when I have something important to say you don't listen; you always make a big joke out of it, you never have taken anything I say seriously."

"Well... Link, _come on._ It's just like you to bicker over something as fixable as this—"

"—_Oh_. So now I'm _bickering? _That proves my point. Everything I say is nothing but rubbish to you_._"

The petite man turned his slender back on his mate, making it rather clear that he was very, very upset.

"Link—_baby_, come here..."

He peered over his shoulder, standing his ground. Ike wasn't going to win him over _that_ easily.

"_Please...? I'm sorry_.._._"

It took a minute, but Link ultimately gave into his boyfriend's plea, crawling into his inviting, warm lap... being welcomed by his friendly, out stretched arms. But he still wasn't totally happy over Ike's "bickering" comment, his lips pouted in an all-too-cute, blatant frown.

"I'm sorry, okay...? _I am sorry._ You're right, I don't take you as seriously as I should. But how can I when you're just so goddamn adorable? And I apologize for spacing out, I... I have a lot on my mind, that's all... but you're what's most important right now and—"

"—You... have lots on your mind? _Like, what?_"

Link glanced up into his lover's eyes.

"I-It's nothing that you should worry your pretty, blonde head about!"

Link's pout returned, "But... if something is troubling my lover... I would very much like to know what it is... so I could... well... _help_."

Shyly, Link lowered his head, feeling utterly useless; Ike lifted it with two, measly fingers.

"_You can help_, Link. Now, I'm not saying that you _have_ to, but here are just some ways that you could brighten up my day: Just tell me you love me, lavish me with your tender hugs and kisses, and make some more of that chocolate mint cake, and you'll make me feel a whole lot better, _m'kay?_"

Link flapped his lashes, his rosy cheeks toasty.

"...'kay."

"_Kiss?_" the mercenary asked.

The blonde one smiled, gently crushing their lips together in a modest smooch, which quickly evolved into something much more. Link was swept up into the manly arms like the delicate, little lamb he was, engaging in a powerful, impassioned kiss. The type of kiss that only two people who were extremely and radically in love could share... Ike's ever persistent lips and tongue were nothing but eager, Link's accepting and sweet. Bit by bit, Ike seized his little love's hips, going down, down, down onto the over-fluffed bedspread.

_Crunch._

Ike stopped instantaneously. Link—eyes dreamy and glossed over with dangerous hunger—gaped at Ike's still lips.

"_What...? What is it...?_" he whispered huskily, yearning for his lover's warm petals.

"_I think..._ I crushed something. _Wait a second_..."

Out of curiosity, Ike reached behind him, retrieving the unknown object that he apparently sat on.

Wrapped in plastic...

Rubber...

Green...

Link eyes grew as wide as the sinister smirk that skipped across Ike's petals.

"Link...? May I ask _why _you just so happen to have a _condom_ on your bed? And a _green_ one, at that…"

"Th-That's—! I didn't—!"

"—_What?_ You afraid I'll give you some disease or somethin'?"

"—_No!_ Ike, _the doctor_—"

"Or perhaps you don't want me to get you pregnant... is that it?"

Link blinked…

_Out of the all the ridiculous things Ike has said to me in our history of being a couple, this has, by far, taken the gold._

"_What?_"

"You've been acting a little hormonal lately, it's only an assumption," Ike nipped Link's bottom lip, "_I hope it's mine_."

The smaller man—who was not _at all_ amused by Ike's sick joke—stared point blank into the jester-like eyes.

"_Are you done?_"

"Yes... I believe so."

"Good. _Firstly_, Doctor Mario gave me that damned thing. He must've slipped that into my pocket somehow. You know better than I do that we _never_ use a condom whenever we—_you know_—have sex. And I trust you... and love you... so I don't have to worry about things like diseases and what-not. _Furthermore_, there's no way _in hell_ that I'm—_pregnant_. You know _for sure_ that's scientifically _impossible!_ Or was that supposed to be another one of your "innocuous" jokes? And even if I was... _pregnant_... of course_ it_ would be yours. I'm not some whore. I'm... um... _devoted_ completely to you."

Ike could only bat his eyelashes as Link set him straight with his words.

"Now don't ever make that_ joke_ again! _Now my stomach feels uneasy_…"

_...Link._

_I don't deserve you._

Ike forced Link into a warm, tight hug, pinning him down onto his bed.

"_You're too good to me, baby_. I love you."

"I love you, too, Ike."

"So what were you fussing at me about? How I shrunk your tees? That's why you're so upset with me?"

"Oh... _that_..."

For some odd, unexplainable reason, Link's heart suddenly flooded over with guilt. Bugging Ike for such a childish reason when he already had enough on his plate.

"..._Don't worry about it._"

"No, babe... it's obviously important to you. I'm sorry I shrunk your shirts... Is there any way I could make it up to you? _I'll do anything_."

A ghoulish smirk appeared on the richly pink lips, Ike quirking an eye brow in question.

"_Anything?_"

"What do you have in mind?"

Link traced his thumb across his love's bottom lip.

"Hmm... _I'll think of something_... but as of right now, I just want to take a quick nap with the man I adore so very much."

But who knew that the "quick nap" actually lasted a bit longer than the two men expected?

xXx

"_Link...?_"

At first, the blonde sloth clinging to Ike's torso didn't budge. Faint, soft snores emitted from him; Ike pat his back, repeating his name with a little more volume. He hated to wake him... Holding Link felt amazing, yes, but _sleeping_ with him...

He couldn't really explain it clearly, but there was something about the incredible intimacy of it all...

"_Mmph_..."

Link arose from his sound slumber, small mewls of discomfort drooling from his mouth.

"Are you okay?"

There was some weak mumbling; he could feel Link's lips moving against his crumpled shirt.

"...I can't understand you, babe. You feeling well? _Need something?_"

Link—dragging his once dead weight off of his lover's pleasant, comfortable body—wiped the corners of his tired eyes with a curled, feline fist.

"I'm sorry... _Ah_."

"What?! _What is it?!_"

"Please—_don't talk so loud_. My head... _I think it got worse_..."

Ike brushed away his mate's long bangs away from his forehead, setting the back of his hand against it to test the current temperature; Link leaned into his boyfriend's comforting touch, moaning under his breath...

"_Aw_, you're a little warm, sweetie. The pounding got worse, you say?"

"_Mmhmm_..."

"Okay... well, it's dinnertime believe it or not... _I can't believe we slept that long_. I'll stop by the doctor's office and pick up some pain killers. While I'm at it, I could also make a pit stop by the café and bring you back some nice, hot soup. Is that alright?"

He received a flimsy nod from the flushed blonde.

"_Alright_... You go on and ahead and lay back down... I'll be right back."

xXx

"Hey, Doc."

Doctor Mario jumped from the all too sudden surprise. His action was shortly followed by a yelp that startled Ike on his part. Toon Link—one of the doctor's current clients—had just gotten slightly pricked with the sharp needle's edge, credit to the doctor's abrupt jerk that was preparing to pierce his pale skin. He began to cry, although no signs of blood could be seen.

"Ike! Don't-a scare me like-a that! It's alright, Toon Link! I just-a stuck you a bit! See?!"

"_I don't want a shot!_"

"This anti-venom will-a help you! Please, just-a hold still!"

"No! I don't want it...!"

"_Hey..._"

Ike approached the young, wailing warrior, bending forward and analyzing every inch of his little body. Toon Link simply stared back, hushing his juvenile whining to do the very same.

"Your name's Toon Link, right?"

"...Uh huh."

Ike smiled, "_I know you_... You're Link's little look-a-like, aren't cha?"

"...Yeah. I guess so."

"It's obvious. _You both are total cuties_... Say, why are you here in Doctor Mario's place?"

"Well... Ness and I were battling against Ivysaur and Luigi... He said he'd take on Ivysaur, so I had to fight Luigi. I used my Final Smash on him and sent him flying into the sky with my Triforce... Ness saw what I did, and he gave me a thumbs up, which made me very happy. But right behind him, Ivysaur was charging up for a huge attack! I didn't know what it was, but it looked like it was going to hurt Ness if he didn't dodge it! I pushed Ness out of the way and—"

"—You took the attack for him? _Aww_, how sweet... but now, whatever attack that was, you're the one suffering for it. _Ivysaur specializes in poison-based attacks..._ So that's why you have to take the anti-venom shot, huh?"

"But—! But I don't want one! It'll hurt."

"No it won't... You'll be _fine!_"

"_Nuh-uh!_ The needle's going to go through my skin an'—an' Lucas told me that blood's going to go everywhere!"

_Ha, that's just like him to say something like that..._

"Oh, _pish posh_, one lesson you must learn in life is to not believe everything people tell you. I assure you, Little Link, you won't feel a thing."

"_Prove it!_"

"Why don't you see for yourself? Doctor Mario's already done."

This was true. The medic—who wore a big, successful smile—had only mere seconds ago injected the countering medicine into the young boy's body, the site hidden underneath a colorful band-aid. Toon Link's animated face lit up as he glanced from the Pikachu-decorated bandage with his cute, "confuzzled" expression to the tall, indigo-haired traveler who beamed right back at him. What was he? Some sort of magician?!

"_Wow...!_ I didn't feel anything. Nothing at all!"

"See? I told you! There's nothing to be scared of. Oh, and don't tell Link this... he might get very mad at me. I think you're _much_ cuter than he is!"

Toon Link giggled, " You're funny, Ike!"

"Toon Link? What-a flavor would-a you like?"

The boy looked at the jar full of colorful, candy sticks.

"_Cherry_, please!"

The doctor reached into the jar, pulling out a huge, crimson lollipop—a visit to the dentist destined to happen. He handed it to the little swordsman, a genuine smile on his face.

"Here-a you go! Don't-a be afraid to come-a back if-a you're having any problems, but you should-a be fine! Have a good evening!"

"Thank you, Doctor!" The teeny blonde hopped down from the bed, removing the bright, interesting wrapper from his precious reward, friskily flicking his tongue upon the delectable candy, "See you later, Ike!"

He ran out of the office, the pitter-patter of his little feet echoing throughout the mansion's vast hallways.

"Thank you, Ike! I thought-a I'd never get-a that done! So... what brings-a you back here?"

"You're welcome, and I'm just here for some pain killers for Link... he said his headache's gotten less tolerable."

Doctor Mario tossed him a questionable glance.

"That-a shouldn't have happened... _Well_, I do-a have some... Has he been-a worrying lately? Stress and-a anxiety are great contributors to headaches..." He browsed through his top shelf cabinets—using a stool—which were filled in great abundance with any sort of type, shape, or color of pills you could ever need.

_Link... worrying?_

"N-No... I don't think he's been worrying. Not to the extent that I'd think it'd harm him, _I mean_... He seems happy to me..."

_On the outside... that is. Inside? Link's emotions are fairly easy to read... Usually, he'd just open up to me about how he feels, or I'd ask him what was wrong, but answer the question for him. That's when he'd toot his lips and make that fussy, pouty—_

"Here-a ya go!"

Ike caught the bottle of thrown pills, stowing them away in his pocket.

"Thanks, Doc. I'll make sure to talk to him... _you know_, see what's up."

"That's-a good. You should-a do that. And Ike...?"

"Yeah?"

"Um... Are-a you and Link—? Are-a you two—?"

"_Hm?_ Oh, _lovers?_ Yes sir. He's my little squeeze. Wait—was that _you_ who put the green condom in Link's pocket? I remember him telling me that earlier today..."

The medic blushed, flustered.

"_Ah!_ Well-a yes! But only for-a safety precautions!"

Ike laughed, strutting over to the open exit.

"_Heh_. Thanks for the concern, Doc. But we have no use for such silly things... and I'm sure if I had a disease Link would've came running into your office ages ago. I'm off. Later!"

xXx

_Tomato..._

_Mushroom..._

_ABC..._

_Chicken Noodle..._

Et cetera, et cetera.

There were so many different types of soups to choose from! Ike wasn't so sure on what Link would prefer... but hey? Soup is soup, right?

Ike personally loved tomato: it was simple and deliciously refreshing. He was pretty hungry, too, having only taking a couple bites out of his breakfast. Chasing down a rabid prince and nurturing his fallen lover back to perfect health took time and energy. So much had occurred so early in the morning, his mind didn't have room enough to even think about eating, that is, until his emotions had actually stabled and things simmered down. He'd eat later. Because, right now, his first priority was Link.

He reached over and grasped a bowl, spotting a soup that instantly caught his attention. This particular broth had noodles that were specifically crafted in the shape of stars; Ike thought it was cute, and it looked pretty tasty.

_Tug Tug._

_Huh?_

"_H-Hi_, Ike!"

Ike looked down: It was Pit. A blushing Pit. A blushing, terrified Pit who didn't make eye contact but instead stared down at his sandals...

"Oh, hey Pit. _What's up?_"

"N-Nothing much! Nothing at all! Um...! I-I have something to give you! Well—actually it's for Link! B-But I saw that you were here and—! And I was kind of hoping that you would return it to him since you're his—_um—!_"

"—Lover?"

"—Y-Yeah!_ That!_ I was going to wait 'til tomorrow to give it to him, but—urm—here!"

Pit handed Ike a familiar, green hat, bowing his head even further to the marble floor.

"He left it in the infirmary! Since you're here now, I thought _you_ could give it to him!"

Gingerly, Ike accepted his boyfriend's hat from the trembling boy.

"...Thanks. I'll make sure that he gets it."

"_O-Okay!_ Thank you so much! _B-Bye!_"

Off ran—or more like bounced—the innocent angel back to the dinner table, the two heiresses giggling heartily at his healthy, crimson blush spreading across his little nose. Ike shrugged, pouring a hefty helping of the starry soup into the bowl, clenching tightly onto his boyfriend's cap.

_Pit... Weird, but cute._

xXx

"_Knock Knock_..."

"Come in..."

Ike tiptoed into the dorm, being extremely careful on not spilling Link's precious meal. He took a seat beside his partner, placing the tray into his lap.

"Sorry it took me so long... I didn't know what kind of soup you liked... I hope you're happy with the one I brought you, though...! _Isn't it cute?_ The noodles are actually little stars! It reminded me of you, since you're cute and all..."

Link softly smiled, taking his silver spoon, "Thank you... _I'm happy with whatever you give me_..."

Ike was given a small, affectionate kiss on the cheek, making his head swell the size of a watermelon. He popped a single pill, dropping it onto Link's tray.

"You only need to take half of that, a whole would overdo it... Err, what kind of drink would you like?"

"Milk... Milk would be fine..."

Like a faithful dog, Ike instantaneously hopped to it, skipping over to the refrigerator. The blonde smiled at his rippling reflection in the golden broth, picking up his spoon and stirring, watching the stars float 'round and 'round.

"Ike...? Was Marth in the dining hall?"

"...No. I didn't see him..."

"Do you know why he is so angry with you?"

"...I _kind of_ did something to piss him off."

He pulled the refrigerating device open, seizing the jug, twisting off the blue cap and pouring an agreeable amount into a small, glass cup.

"And did you apologize to him?"

Ike spun around.

"_'Apologize to him'?!_ Shouldn't _he_ be the one apologizing to _you!_ Look at what he's done! In addition to that, he doesn't wish to talk to me..."

"_Ike!_ How _could_ you?! You _must_ apologize to him—no—you _will!_ _Tonight!_ Whatever you said to him that caused him to go on a rampage and nearly take my head off must have really crushed him. I don't know what's going on between you two, but there is one thing I do know... Deep down underneath that rough, stubborn shell of his lies a more sensitive, precious part of him that I've only witnessed _once_ during our time as friends... and, this may not be utterly true, but... I believe that he's just as frail as I... He's gone through so much with... with... his past lover, and sometimes I don't even recognize him anymore... I've never seen him react in such a severe way... but whatever you do—and I don't care how you do it—you had_ better_ say you're sorry..."

"...But, what about you? You'll be okay by yourself?"

"Marth's in need of attention way more than I am. He's my best friend and—more than anything—I want to see him _happy_. I can't do that right now, and even if I could, Marth's not talking to me as much as he used to anymore... but then again, I'm not the one who made him upset..."

Ike rejoined his love, handing him his cold beverage.

"_Okay_... I'll try harder this time..."

"_Thank you_... Um... Did I sound, by chance, a little _bitchy_ just then...?"

"No, not at all... You actually sounded like a big brother... Do you know how good of a person you are?"

"_Thanks_, Ike…" the blonde replied, giggling weakly.

"I'll make sure to make it up to Marth, so don't worry about anything else. I want you to take half of that pill, and eat all of that soup. I'll see you in the morning, okay?"

"Thank you again... for everything... I love you."

A handsome smile stretched across Ike's cold lips, bringing them to Link's flaming forehead which felt so good in contrast.

"You're welcome, sweetheart. _I love you_, _too_. Feel better... _Sweet dreams_..."

"Goodnight... _I will_."

* * *

_**GAAAAAAAAAAAAHN**_.

_I hate this chapter so much!_ Sorry if it seems rushed at the end!! Mostly because it took so very long to type it up! I kept revising and editing, and I was using the laptop which—_I swear_—hates me with a passion (And if there are some misspellings, specifically ones with words missing "A"'s, I apologize. It's the laptops fault; the "A" key was lagging a bit for the first couple days. GOMEN for any other mistakes! And if you find any numbers, that's also some unknown lag. But I've proofread this many a times, so any grammar, formatting or spelling mistakes should be at a minimum...

**bitbyboth:** Thank you very much! O.o Ike didn't like royalty? I would've never guessed! Well, that's what I get for being so lazy and not doing my research. I haven't played any of his games yet, either, so... Boo hoo! Ike and Link is very rare, so I knew there had to be some fans out there somewhere! That's how this story came about! And since you are a new reviewer, you get a cookie! Sorry, I don't have any of the M&M kind left, but I do have sugar!

**A is for Angst:** I forgot to say this last time, but I _**LOVE**_ your name! So very creative! _ISN'T HE?! HE'S SO PRECIOUS!_ EEEEEEE!! -Molests Farm Boy Link- I love making an adorable Link... he's just so cute. I could not resist. Waaaaah? You don't like Ike? I bet you will after this chapter. Or maybe just a smidget... Eh, up to you. Ike is sexy though, I like him for that, ho ho... Marth I feel so very bad for. He is a little crybaby, isn't he?! When I finally post the chapter where Ike and Marth's little rendezvous began, you shall see why Ike (or possibly even Marth) got sucked into the infatuation trap. Roy will appear fairly soon, and all will be made clear. Heh heh, I cannot wait to write that scene. Thank you for the kind review!!

**pillsberry:** _KYYYYAAAAH!_ Thank you so much! That really means a lot to me!

**Kufuffelupagus: **New reviewer? O.o _COOKIE!_ Heh, honestly, I didn't know anything about him, either. I just went on looks. Pretty slick, ain't it? xD A LINK LOVER! YAAAAAY! I could go on and on about how much I love him! Was the Ocarina of Time the one where you had three days to do something to stop this one imp who wore a freaky looking mask? If so, then that's the one my brother was afraid of playing. I had no idea why, but now that I look back on it, it was pretty scary... O.O You will keep reviewing? ... -rushes to write chapter eight-

**Ernoma:** My favorite K.K. Rider song is "K.K. Condor". But he only comes once or twice a month at night (well, for me he does. Whenever he shows up me and my brother take all the pictures of him we can because he's really rare for us). Uwwwwaaaah! A Pit Lover (he reminds me so much of Sora from Kingdom Hearts... Hmm... Maybe it's just the way his hair is styled...)! I've planned on making his role a bit bigger. Thank you so much for reviewing! And please, protect my honey with your life...

**Sachiko V:** Ha Ha! I love making Link too adorable for his own good! It makes me so very happy! And Ike happy, too! (Farm boy Link... -**MOLEST MOLEST MOLEST**-) Ahh, I know. I love making IkeXLink fluff... It works out very well for me. I'm pretty sad that it's gonna end as well!! I mean, they're made for each other! But Ike is being unfaithful, and he's lying to his pretty face, too! Grr, I hate bold faced liars. Ha, I think Marth is the one getting all the abuse. Link isn't hurting (yet), and like you said, Marth actually knows what's going on. And he has to put up with it. Why is he still with Ike, you ask? There's an empty void in his heart (that Roy created when he left), and he's looking for someone to fill it. Yes! Of course I had to put Pit in here! He's like... too cute!! Ho ho... will he play apart in the truth? We shall see...

**xXAngelic ScarsXx:** -GASP- SO MUCH VIOLENCE! I still very bad for the prince, too, but I wouldn't shoot him. I'd STAB HIM TO HIS DEATH. Eh hem, sorry. LAWL! "FALCON _PAAAAAAUNCH!_" xDDD Yes, Roy will come soon Cx His reason for leaving? Well, that'll have to be exposed another time. I could see Marth putting on some blush... and cover up is a reasonable assumption...

**The Mad Joker:** Everyone does, and to this very moment I still like Ike. But I still hate him. GAAAAH. Confussling! He has to choose soon; Marth is kind of hinting around that ultimatum. And when Link does find out, Pit would be the first person I'd put him with! But that would mean that Link is now the seme, and Pit the uke, because I can't see Pit being the seme with..._**ANYBODY!**_ How does an EX-uke have sex with an uke? WAAAH, more confusion!! (Ike and Link are pretty together, aren't they?) Marth... how to I begin to tell you how guilty I feel for putting that adorable prince through so much hell... He does need Roy... Everyone does. I'M SORRY FOR THE UBER LATENESS OF THIS CHAPTER!! -BOW BOW BOW BOW-

**Panda-chan101:** I'm only good with Peach, Pit, Ness, and Toon Link. Link I'm still figuring out. Ganondorf and Ike are ones that I never pick because of their slowness, but their moves are super effective! WTF?! I want super effective moves, but my timing is _waaaaaaay off!_ Grrr. Yeah, maybe he would go faster if he held Ragnell with two hands... IkeXLink makes the world go 'round, I tell you...

**Wind Kaizer:** YES, OLD SAYINGS!! I LOVE THEM, TOO! xDDD Lawls, I bet if you told Ike that he'd either punch you or tell you to "Shut the fuck up". I've never called anyone a manwhore to their face... Maybe in secret I have. I called my Ex-boyfriend a "Heartless Bitch" and slapped him a couple times, but that's the best I could do. And I was feeling some kind of psychological brain wave or something whenever I read your reviews... -GASPETH- MAYBE YOU'RE MY LONG LOST TWIN SISTER OR SOMETHING! Yeah, Marth is getting whiny. A big crybaby. He's just stressed over the whole thing, so I would think... Really? I was thinking of doing the same thing for a while, but I just didn't know how to format it... So confusing! Love "Pentagon" -Counts possible pairings- Now that I think of it, it is a love Pentagon!! HA HAA! I would've never even picked that up! Your stay tuned moments are CLASSIC. The part that really got me was the "And why does it seem that no one takes a shower except Marth?" Now I could answer this one... I don't like writing shower scenes. I mean, the only time I would is when it's relevant, like something important is being said, like when Marth took his shower. I explain why he would do so. But in any other situation, I think shower scenes are boring... unless Ike steps in while Marth's bathing with an enticing smirk on his face... - w - Then I'd definitely have to flesh out that scene, ho ho...

**Shadow Petal:** Ahh, don't worry about it. Everyone's got the freedom to voice their own, personal opinions right? :3 Ho ho... I see that this story has had your feelings as mixed up. I guess it happens because I exposed their true colors (especially Ike's). I do feel bad for Marth because of what he went through, and I also feel bad for Link because of what's going to happen... (I'm totally itching to write that chapter, ne!!) I loved writing the cookie scene the most so far! It was cute wasn't it? And YOU CRIED? That wasn't my intention, but it was supposed to make you feel very very sad... Even though this story is mainly about Ike and Link, Marth and especially Roy play a big part in this. Weird, isn't it? O.o ... Don't worry, I won't ask... Thank you so very much for the kind review! -Gives sugar cookie- This is my first major story, and I hope the many more I plan on writing are just as great!

**Rayestar Ikina:** I'm sure that Marth didn't mean to knock the wind out of my beloved Link! It's kind of hard to stop running at full speed. I'm a sprinter, so trust me, I know. Oh, it's quite easy to skip a class, actually. You just gotta be smart! Like I am! They (and by "they" I mean the middle school I was in) told me that the English class I was in was too elementary for me, and they felt like I needed to be challenged. So they put me in English 1 (a gifted class for advanced students). I got my credit for English 1 in 8th grade, so in 9th grade I wouldn't have to take it. So now, instead of going in English 1, I get to go in English 2 Honors! Cause I'm smart! Ha Ha! (Something tells me I'm not going to like it... Ouu, Eigo Sensei! Please be easy on me!) My cursive sucks, really. The last time I took a handwriting class was in 3rd grade. And I hardly use cursive for anything, other than doing my signature, but I rarely even do that. But when I do, my lower case "A"s look like "U"s. And my "G"s look like "J"s. I just don't have the patience to fill my letter's out. And get this, my signature is small. How could my cursive be small, but when I print it takes up one full line? WTF, man?! OOOOOH! You're friend reminds me much of myself! I hardly use a school locker for anything. I think they're a waste of time. But now that I'm entering high school, it's going to be essential. I'm used to carrying everything in my arms, too (with the help of a back pack, of course) but I also need good upper body strength because my arms are like jello. So I guess carrying things in your arms develops some kind of muscles... What I can't believe is that he's a valedictorian! I WANNA BECOME ONE OF THOSE THINGS, TOO! ANOTHER THING YOUR FRIEND AND I HAVE IN COMMON! Cx I updated kind slow on this one, but that won't ever happen again. Honestly, I have no idea how many chapters this story is gonna produce. I know how it's going to end, but I don't know how many chapters it's gonna take to get there. Hell, I plan to shoot for 100 chapters!! 8DDD I'd be eighteen by then... _Hmm..._ (Oh wow, five years?)

**Midnight Crystal Sage:** I made that obvious right? Good! I wanted to! Angsty Marth is a hit, woo! Heh, I suck at sex scenes, I'm glad that the oral one was half way decent - w - Heh heh...

Takes me an hour and a half to thoroughly answer them all Cx But I love replying to them. It's nice to hear what others have to say.

_Anywho..._

_A_ _review?_ _For me?!_

_**How sweet!**_

Much Love,

HokageAkamaru


	9. Quality Time

Title: A Lover's Brawl

Pairing(s): **IkeXLink**,** IkeXMarth**, Eventual** MarthXRoy**, Eventual** PitXLink**

Rating: M

**Full Story:** _Link has always been the quiet, shy type. That is… until Ike came into his life. Since then, Ike and Link have been an inseparable item ever since they've laid eyes on each other. Marth, coping with his broken heart after the disappearance of his very own lover—Roy—had secretly loved Ike from the beginning. But it was too late, Link was the only one on Ike's mind._

_With his seductive powers and body, he lures Ike to him, the both of them sharing many nights together. And ever since, Ike has not been able to let him—nor his delicious shape—go. Link is totally unaware of this, Ike constantly lying to him about his whereabouts to protect he and his prince's relationship. With whole-hearted trust, Link believes every single word._

_Marth wants a fully committed relationship with Ike—tired of hiding it—and he will do anything to get it, even if that means hurting one of the people that he loves the most._

_But there is one more person that complicates this plot._

_Someone who watches his crush from afar._

_(This story takes place after Super Smash Brother's Melee, the reason why Roy is "missing")_

**A/N:** HELLO ALL!

_Guess what?!_ **MarthXRoy** flashback! _YAY! _

**-bow-**

Thank you for the **alerts**! Hope you enjoy more of this story!

…Wow.

I didn't know there were lots of **PitXLink** fans… I guess that means I gotta make more of those sorts of chapters!! Well, you guys are in luck! 'Cause there is many more to come!! And this chappy has some **PitXLink** bittersweet-ness in it, too! Along with the infamous/much loved couple **IkeXMarth **(but **IkeXLink** is my favorite) Either way, it's a win-win! 8D

**IkeXLink**,** IkeXMarth**, **MarthXRoy**, **LinkXMarth **(WTF)and **PitXLink **(as I already mentioned) in this chapter, folks.

Another long chapter...! One reason why it took me so long to update! (Revising and revising and more revising... pains)

**13,000 +**!

So sit back, _relax_, and enjoy Chapter Eight with all of its "whorish" goodness!

A nice, weekend treat!

-goes off, humming Ike's theme-

* * *

_April 31st… 12:31pm _

_Dear Journal,_

_This evening was so amazing… So very amazing… I cannot describe to you how amazing this evening was… (I'll stop saying "amazing", ha ha). Guess why? C'mon, guess! I'll give you a hint… (not that you need one) Marth had something to do with it. It's nothing new, I know. But this was... And if you haven't noticed already, I didn't write early in the evening like I usually do… But it was all Marth's doing. _

_I knew something extraordinary was going to happen tonight… _

_I felt it in my spirit… _

_Flashback… _

"Is there anything else I can do for you?! Does it still hurt?! Do you need more medicine?! _Bandages?!_ _Hugs?!_"

"I'm_ okay_, Marth… My leg, too… _It's fine!_ I don't need any more bandages as you can probably tell…"

What bandage _didn't_ he have? Roy's leg alone was a tremendous work of art! Band-aids of red, purple and all the colors in between lit up his leg brighter than Christmas lights on an evergreen tree ever could! Kirby was the lucky assistant that day, and he took a liking in all of the doctor's decorative bandages, having a ball as he coated the young swordsman's leg.

It was a calm, peaceful evening; and everyone was stuffed and sleepy. The Smashers bid their final adieus, winding down for the promising battles that awaited them the next morning. All except for a particular, royal man, who was audibly creating a big deal out of a little scrape scarring Roy's inner thigh.

"Kirby put on more than enough... and I definitely don't need medicine…"

Marth pounced to the floor, bowing before Roy's small, bare feet.

"_I'm so sorry, Roy!_ I didn't mean to cut you so deeply! It's just that Mewtwo moved away so very fast and _I missed!_ I couldn't—! _I didn't_—_!_ _Waaah~!_ _I'm sorry!_ _Please forgive me!_"

Roy smiled at the comical prince.

_Marth is so cute that it hurts, sometimes…_

"_Forgiveness? _Such a thing is not needed! And _please_ get up! _You look so silly_…"

The young monarch arose on his knees, cocking his head to the side adorably, biting the tip of his finger.

Roy wanted to _eat_ him.

"But… _I hurt you_… I should receive punishment…"

"_Punishment?!_ You're starting to _sound _silly, now! It's _okay_… _I'm_ _fine_. Doctor Mario took care of _everything_. So no need to worry… Everyone makes mistakes. Even _you_, Prince Marth…"

_Although you're perfect in my eyes… Perfect in so many ways._

"…I'm glad."

Marth took a vacant seat next to the wounded swordsman, sweetly kissing his brow. Roy liked these kisses. It made him feel oddly smart…

"Hey, Roy…?"

"Yeah?"

"You said you didn't need bandages or medicine, right?"

"…Uh huh, why?"

"Well, you didn't say _hugs!_"

"_Wha_—"

Marth pounced on top of the young boy, crushing the oxygen out of his lean, wounded body, swishing him around in his arms like a worn rag doll. Sometimes he forgot about the slight size difference between them, but Roy thought it was nice to know how much he was loved and cared for… Even if it meant literally getting the life juiced out of him every once in a while.

Well, more like daily.

"_Th—Thank y—ou—Marth_—"

"_Yooou're _welcome! Doctor Mario told me one day that people who get hugs are happier than people who don't! That's why I make sure to give you hugs and _extra_ hugs everyday! I want you to always be happy!"

It was drollish little things like this that made the happy-go-lucky prince so loveable.

"I _am_ happy, Marth…"

"You are?!"

"Yes… I am, and it's all thanks to you… _You_ make me happy."

Roy smiled… Roy's _eyes_ smiled… making the prince melt.

_He's so cute when he smiles! _

_Ohh, how I wish he was a dessert! Like... one of Link's homemade strawberry flans... Or a big, creamy slice of Red Velvet Cake! I'd gobble him up in one spoonful! _

"Do I... um_..._ Make you happy, Marth?"

"_Do you make me happy...?_ You make me _more_ than happy, sweetheart_—_"

Marth cut-off his sentence, tightly pressing his lips together. The stunned redhead gawking at his royal friend, color in his cheeks.

_Did I just—?! Did I just call him—?! I've never called him—Roy—"sweetheart"! Aww, he's blushing! Well, I do love him... _

_A lot. _

_Come to think of it, I've never said "I love you" either. There's a reason for that. I don't want to take things too fast... I mean, it's only been two weeks since our... kiss... and we are still acting as friends. We've kissed one another's lips many times, but... when things would get too hot and too heavy, I would pull back. I—I don't want to make Roy uncomfortable! But when I'd pull away, he'd look so sad or really gloomy... Maybe he wanted me to go further... But I don't want to scare him away! I love Roy, yes! I love him with all my heart! But... am I really disappointing him? And if so, why doesn't he tell me? Is he afraid? He should know that he could come to me if something's bothering him! I mean, we're... lovers... I think._

_Lovers that don't say "I love you"._

_This is it! I'm tiring of feeling like I'm depriving my sweet Roy! He deserves so much more!_ _I'm going to get this off of my chest and tell him how I really feel! _

The prince slowly pulled back, his childish persona replaced with a dead serious one. Marth gawked intently into his petite amour's electrifying blue eyes. He flashed him that heart fluttering, charming smile on his soft lips, his eyes glistening with sheer happiness. Roy swallowed; Marth was getting really close. A little too close. The violent beatings of his heart could be heard and even _seen _under the thin, vibrating piece of cloth of his tank top hovering just above it.

_What's this…?_

"Roy…?"

"_Yes?_"

The young monarch caressed his mate's burning cheek, making swift glances to his lips and back into the omnivorous eyes.

"It has only been two weeks since our first kiss… That was the best day of my life, and I'm sure I could say the same for you. _Yet…_ I still feel that there's this… this _invisible barrier_ that's separating us… keeping us from showing the other our full potential as a couple… Or maybe it's just _me_. For so long I've been _dying_ to tell you how I truly felt… _About you… and about us._ There were so many opportunities that I did not take advantage of, so many perfect moments that I could've seized… But I couldn't do it… It was like I could _never_ bring myself to tell you how I felt… Because I was not sure how you would react. I was scared… confused… Endless thoughts raced back and forth, _day and night_, through my head. One's like, 'Would Roy feel uneasy if I told him such things?', 'Would he think that I'm rushing him into this?'

I didn't want you to feel uncomfortable… and I also did not want to be… _rejected. _So I kept the feelings all to myself, but feelings like these aren't meant to be bottled up. They are meant to be _shared_… Specifically with the one that you _love_…"

Roy's orbs widened; Marth gingerly making his amorous advances. The redhead was cornered between the armrest of his lavender loveseat and the prince's upper torso—caged in by his lovely arms.

"_My darling, my sweetheart, my sun, moon and stars_… I want to take _this_ further—_us_ further. I feel that we could do so much more… I'm not sure when you're supposed to say this, and—as you know—it's only been a couple of weeks, but even before that, _Roy_, I have _always_ loved you. And to this very day I _still_ love you... _I love you_, Roy_._ I love you with everything I've got…"

Roy soaked all of this in better than a parched sponge.

Marth's words… They were true… He'd never heard such beautiful, carefully hand-picked words all threaded together, birthing an amazing speech that coaxed Roy's very own heart to lay its undeniable feelings down onto the table.

"I wish for nothing more than to make you mine. I want to be with you, Roy... More than anything in this world."

Before the redheaded boy knew it, the gorgeous man, who was now coming in contact with the bare skin of his tummy, his flesh burning at the unprecedented yet lustfully delicious feel of the one he loved caressing his virgin skin. That's when the realization that the two of them were only in a thin top and shorts became very relevant.

"Do you accept my feelings…?"

Their lips teased the other, brushing slightly against the opposite pair; Marth patiently awaited his response with alluring eyes. He wanted to kiss him so badly that it took all the strength he had not to!

"I've been waiting to hear that from you for the longest, Prince Marth... I thought that_ I_ was going to have to be the one to bring up this touchy subject, and that shows you how much of a coward I am, but... I'm so glad you confessed to me… I ecstatically accept your feelings… I would_ love _to have you by my side."

Roy ran his cold fingers through the prince's cobalt hair, earning a staggering weak moan.

"_I love you, _Prince Marth, and Ialways have."

And that was all the prince needed to hear.

_End Flashback…_

_Tonight was a night of firsts! Marth and I confessed our love for one another. I feel as if our bond has grown twice as big and twice as strong, now! He loves me. I love him... _

_We're finally on the same page. _

_Gods did his hands feel so good all over me… Every scorching square inch of my body screamed out for more that hot, unfathomable touch that only my prince is capable of giving me… _

_Hee._

_I said "my prince"…_

_... _

_KYAH!! I'm so happy! We also… "french kissed" for the first time… It felt a little weird since no one has really… "put their tongue inside of my mouth" before. But, when Marth did, I got really… I don't know… excited. It was new—and frightening. I had never experienced anything like it…! Marth seemed to know what he was doing, which relaxed me a little bit. _

_OH! As we kissed—my sofa is really small—Marth lost his balance and fell, dragging me along with him! We rolled like a log on a hill, me ending up on top of him. He was blushing and he totally freaked out. _

_He's so cute._

_I'm getting sleepy… Marth has been asleep in my bed for the past hour. (He snores~!) I've been doing nothing but gazing upon his beautiful, sleeping face and writing into you… Gosh, is he gorgeous… I'm so lucky. Link you're the best..._

…_I love you, buddy._

_Yours Truly, _

_Roy_

_P.S. Most likely, there's an unanswered question lingering around somewhere in your mind after you've read this entry. So allow me to answer that question for you... _

_NO._

_WE DID NOT HAVE SEX._

xXx

_Knock Knock Knock._

_"_Marth...? _Er—_It's me, Ike. Um... _Look_, can we talk for a minute? Just you and me... Please?"

Ike waited patiently for what he thought was enough time to at least get a decent response from the other side, but as predicted, he didn't even receive so much of an agitated "Go away".

That was the last straw.

Ike puffed, running his fingers through his coarse hair.

_That's it… I'm not putting up with anymore of this. _

"Marth, I'm coming in. Whether you like it or not—"

…The door was unlocked.

Marth_ never_ left his door unlocked.

Curious, Ike silently pushed open the creaking door, light shedding into the darkened room. Poking his head through, Ike instantly took note of the rather large, lone lump lying alone on the bed.

He _was_ sleeping… the little, cobalt-haired angel was sleeping…

He must've felt really bad about what he said.

_Marth… Feeling bad? Che, yeah right…_

Ike crept into the dark, lifeless room, shutting the door quietly behind him, carefully watching Marth's slender back for any signs other than the gradual rise and fall as he slept. He tiptoed over to a nearby lamp that didn't emit too much light, but painted his shadowy room with a warm, sepia-toned glow.

One flick and all within a short range became visible.

The prince was snuggled up with one of his plush pillows, his grip unbelievably tight. Ike instantly noticed that it was _his_ favorite pillow... the one he always slept on whenever he and Marth had those lovely, spooning bouts. It broke his heart… That should've been _him_ instead of that pillow. _He_ was the one who should've been there comforting him… _He_ was the one who was supposed to be tied up in those weak, clingy arms… _He_ should've tried harder…

Ike sat just a couple inches away from Marth's head, watching over a sight so precious…

_If only Marth could be at peace just like this everyday._

"_I'm sorry, Marth_…" He muttered, softly strumming the fine, long hairs of his bangs, "Everything you said was true… I just didn't want to accept it…"

The monarch lay motionless, softly smacking his lips.

_Well, this isn't getting anywhere… What good is it if I'm apologizing and he's not conscious? Actually I'm not really supposed to be in here… I'm pretty sure he's still fuming mad at me. Link ordered me to apologize, and that I must do… But I also must win back his trust…_

_His heart… _

_His love…_

Ike gingerly stroked some strands of his soft, well-kept hair…

_Because I've lost everything in him... I've screwed things up between us so bad, and I made him believe that it was his entire fault… All of his doing… When in reality… It was me—my selfishness... Now look what I've done…_

_Look what I've created…_

"_Mm_… _nnn__…"_

Ike scrambled off of the bed, hiding on the floor as he intently listened to the prince shift around. It sounded like he was flipping over, or getting out of the bed…

God forbid that from happening, or Ike's ass would've surely been toast then.

The massive bed had finally stopped creaking.

Gulping, Ike slowly arose once more, finding Marth now lying on his back in the middle of the bed, the pillow securely placed over his heart.

_That was close…_

Again, the traveler cautiously crawled back onto the bed, approaching his napping prince like a stalking cheetah hidden in the grass.

Marth did everything graceful… The way he moved, talked, ate, and napped in this case… That's why it was hard for Ike not to be entranced by such a stunning view.

With a lot of guts, Ike laid his entire body beside Marth, sitting up right so he would be able to gaze more upon his swain.

Right then—Ike running away with his imagination—the prince roughly favored one of the many princesses in the widely-known fairytales that had been born and bestowed with an irreversible curse. She either pricked her finger on her sixteenth birthday, or ate a poisonous fruit given to her by an evil, malicious witch that whisked her off into an eternal slumber, only to be awakened by her true love's kiss. Ike was willing to test that theory, but he was pretty sure the last thing Marth would want was his lips against his.

But he couldn't help it…

Marth just laying there, his lips… _kissable_…

It was beauty going to waste... Just like those princesses lying inanimately in their white caskets...

And Ike didn't like wasting _anything._

_No._

_No, no, no. I didn't come here for that… I came to apologize and finally settle this energy-sapping conflict with Marth. That's it. Nothing else. _

_N... Nothing…_

Ike hopelessly found himself being sucked into Marth's gravitational pull, which was the equivalent to a black hole.

And surely everyone knows the percentage of actually escaping.

Zero.

Closer and closer he inched… his willpower diminishing just as fast as the little space between them. Ike caressed the prince's silk, colorless cheek with a tender, heedful hand. His lips were terribly close now, and there was absolutely no turning back at this point…

_Goddamnit, Marth… Why are you so fucking tempting?_

Ike closed his eyes, stilled his breathing, and quickly sowed a quick, dry kiss onto the motionless lips. Anon he dived to the floor, praying to whatever higher power that was willing to listen to a sinner's prayer that Marth had been in a deeper sleep then he had hoped.

All was silent.

Someone up there must've really liked him.

"_N-No… Don't go…_ _Come back to me_…"

Ike bat his baby lashes.

_Is he talking to me? Does he know that I'm here? Did he see me? Did he feel—is he awake?!_

The only way to find out was to come face to face once again with the prince.

"_Marth?_"

He was still asleep, but now resting on his side, the pillow snuggled into his chest, a faint frown on his lips. The taller swordsman was clearly confused.

Since when did Marth _talk_ in his sleep?!

Oh—_right_—how could he have known? When the sex was over—and he got what he wanted—Ike always left. He couldn't remember the last time he and his cobalt-haired prince actually made love and slept together in the same bed all through the night. Thinking back on it, he would've had so much fun watching this little man toss and turn unconsciously in his arms, saying just about anything and being totally unaware of what he said the next morning. Ike missed out on a lot with him… The two never really had any precious moments to look back on, their relationship bringing so much strife and heartache...

And after so many nights of regret, Ike finally felt like doing something about it.

_First_, the pillow had to go.

Gently, but with a little force, Ike tugged on the cushion. Marth fiercely fought back, frightfully yanking it away and squeezing it tighter than before.

"_Nooo_… _Please… Stay_…" Marth daintily mewled, shaking like a scrawny, furless dog.

There was no doubt in Ike's mind that his cherished prince was dreaming about him. It made him a little sad, but he'd rather make that dream turn into a reality.

Ike lovingly stroked his mate's back, muttering directly into his ear…

"_It's alright, baby… I'm not going anywhere…_"

It took him a few seconds… He could feel Marth ease up underneath him, letting up on the plump cushion.

"_You promise…?_"

"_I promise…_"

_Success!_

The pillow was slipped out of the claws of the prince!

But something had to go in its place.

Or rather_ someone_.

Marth subconsciously felt for Ike's arms, pulling him closer to his lonely body.

"…_Hold me?_"

And Ike did so, enveloping the thin and amazingly warm figure. Marth moaned his name softly into his ear, embracing every part of him that he could get his ravenous hands on. He latched his thighs onto Ike's hips, tying his legs to make sure he wouldn't escape. It had been a while since he's had such an intimate touch. Ike gave him sweet, feather-light kisses on the crook of his neck, his hands roaming all about his paramour's back.

"_I'm so happy now…_ _I love you, Ike._"

_If only he were actually awake... But I guess this is better than nothing._

"_I love you, too… I'm so sorr_—"

Marth kissed him.

Then he kissed him some more.

He kissed him again...

And again,

And again.

Ike couldn't believe it. Marth actually _talked_ in his sleep, _replied_ probably anything you asked in sleep, then _kissed_ in his sleep?!

The mercenary wondered what else he did...

Ike simply lay there, stunned, allowing Marth's candid lips engage in a heated kiss with his own. Should he kiss back? What if he woke up? But Marth's insensible lips felt so... _needy_. The cold, tasty tip of his tongue wriggled against Ike's thin lips, politely requesting entrance. Ike couldn't hold back anymore.

…_Please don't let this be a dream… I'm so tired of having such wonderful dreams like this, then having to wake up to the reality that it was only a fragment of my imagination... _

Marth slowly opened his pretty eyes, Ike staring directly back into him.

"_YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!_"

The prince shoved Ike off of his bed with full force, clambering friskily off of his bed, moving as far away from him as possible. His heart felt as if it were going to jump right out of his skin! Ike suffered only a small scratch on his arm.

"_WHAT_ WERE YOU DOING TO ME JUST THEN?!"

"_Shhh!_ Do you _want_ everyone to hear you?!"

"YOU WERE TRYING TO RAPE ME, WEREN'T YOU, YOU_—YOU—INCUBUS?!_"

"_I was doing nothing of the sort!_"

_"LIAR!_ AND _WHY_ ARE YOU IN MY DORM?! I DON'T REMEMBER GIVING YOU ANY PERMISSION TO ENTER! THAT'S CALLED _TRESSPASSING!_ _I CAN REPORT YOU FOR THAT!_ AND DID I _NOT_ SAY THAT I DIDN'T WANT TO SEE THE LIKES OF YOU _EVER_ AGAIN? I THOUGHT I MADE THAT QUITE CLEAR?!"

"Marth—and I'm asking nicely—_Please._ Shut—_the hell_—up."

It was like someone pressed the mute button on the "Prince Marth Lowell" remote, because that's exactly what he did. The sour expression on his cute face did not vanish, though. Ike approached him, standing a couple feet away to give him enough huffing room.

"_Now_… What was _I_ doing to _you__?_ I think the question should be 'What were _you_ doing to_ me__?_'. Because you were the one who started the kiss. _Not me_. I was stunned for a second, but eh... I'm sure you'd do the same thing to me if you had the chance. And I wasn't trying to rape you... _that's absurd_. I have no need to rape _anyone_, actually. If I wanted a fuck, I wouldn't have to resort to _rape_ or any other type of force to get it, and I'm _sure_ you know that…"

Marth rolled his eyes, murmuring under his breath, "_You're so full of yourself_."

Ike ignored this snappy remark, and resumed his defense statement.

"…Your door was unlocked, so I invited myself in. And you're right, I should've gotten your permission, but you were asleep. You just looked so peaceful, and I know you haven't been sleeping too well at all these past weeks... I didn't want to wake you… And yes, I'm probably—_no_, not probably—I _am_ the last person on Earth that you'd like to see right now, but... _I gotta talk to you_…"

"Well, I don't want to hear it. You had your chance, and you chose to ruin it."

"Guess what? _I don't care_ what you_ want_ and _don't_ want to hear. I came to make things right between us and that's exactly what I'm gonna do. I'm not leaving until we both get to the bottom of this because right now, I'm confused as hell. Marth, _I don't want us to fall apart_, not over something that we could fix... We could make this work, but only if you're willing to cooperate with me..."

The prince detonated with harsh, witch-like cackles.

"Do you even realize that you're wasting your breath, Ike? Do you know that whatever you say now will not change the way I feel about you?"

"..._Really? _I'm wasting breath? Therefore I'm wasting my time, is that right? Every time we have little petty fights like this I often question myself, 'Why are you putting up with this _nagging_, _stuck up_, _self-righteous_, _narcissistic_ prince? There are millions of other productive things that you could be doing other than having this pestering man yell at you up and down the halls with that smart, sharp-tongued mouth of his!' _Well_, whenever I would answer this question, I would _always, always, always_ seem to get the same answer each and every time: because _I love him_. And if I'm wasting my breath then I think that's a damn good reason to!"

"'_I love him_'? That's the _best_ you can come up with? _'I love him'?! _Ike... _Ike, Ike, Ike..._ I thought you could do better. You want to know something that you_ fail_ to realize? But then again,_ that's no major shock_..."

Prince Marth drew near to Ike; the suspecting, taller man curious as to what his fuming partner had in store. In one, very fluid motion, Marth cemented their bodies together, and captured Ike's hands, forcing them onto his hips as he crushed them into his own. Ike swallowed back an accidental cry of pleasure; whatever clever point this saucy prince was trying to make, he was not going to give him the victory of proving him right or wrong. The heir's lips skimmed the scantily-chapped skin of his lover's own set, practically meeting them in an open-mouthed kiss. He gazed seductively into Ike's awe-stricken eyes, a dangerous smirk playing on his lips which dripped with poison.

"You want to know what you _really_ love, Ike? _Hmm?_" he hotly, monotonically whispered to his lips, the humid clouds of breath sending shivers throughout his entire body.

Ike just stared at him... unsure of what to say.

"_Answer me,_" demonically growled Marth, eyes fierce and grim, grinding their lower bodies with much more desired force. Ike bit his tongue; the moan was unable to slip out.

He liked it rough, and Marth knew it.

"_...What?_"

And just like that, the prince snapped right back into his sarcastic, manipulating character.

"I'm _so very glad_ you asked... You see, my _sweet_, Ike, you don't_ love _me... But _this_..." He rocked his buxom hips, "..._this_ is what you love. Not me, but my _ass_... _Isn't that right?_ I bet if I'd let you _fuck_ me right now we'd already be on the floor... or maybe the kitchen sink this time... You're one to pick crazy places! But to you, this is all I'm _ever_ going to be good for..."

"That's... That's not true—"

"—_BULL!_"

Marth hatefully shoved Ike down onto the bed, towering over his shaken body as he glowered at the mere sight of him.

He was pissed now.

"That's not fucking _true_, Marth! If you'd only stop _bitching_ and _sit down_ so we could talk about this!"

"There's _nothing_ to fucking _talk_ about! I told you, _I'm done!_ If you don't love me just say it to my face and stop_ fucking_ with my head!"

The boiling anger that was brewing in the pit of Ike's stomach was sapped away from him as spotted a crystalline tear zigzag from the slits of his pink, emotional eyes, to the bottom of his chin, plopping onto Ike's shirt. It all happened so fast, Marth didn't even realize it until he noticed the wetness cooling his flaming cheeks…

…That is when Ike felt bad.

Really, really bad.

"_Sweetheart_..."

"Don't you '_sweetheart_' me!" he commanded, a crack in his voice.

He rapidly backed off, slapping his face clean of any signs of tears, but it was too late. Ike already saw them; one fell on his shirt. Feeble, exposed Marth stumbled over to the door, loosing his cool, sniffling.

"I'm giving you twenty seconds to say whatever it is you have to say... then your ass is out of my door! _Do you hear me?!_ _Twenty...!_"

"_Marth_..." Ike sat up, rubbing the back of his head, "I... I get it. I finally get what you were trying to say... and I feel like such a total _ass_ because it took me this long to figure it out..."

"_Fifteen... Fourteen..._"

His mapped plan of showing the other man no weakness was steadily crumbling... Cautiously, he approached the trembling prince like a wild deer, frightened that he'd scare him away.

"All I can say right now is that I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry... Those words alone don't come near reaching how remorseful I am by causing you all of this pain... and I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me."

"_T-Ten... Nine.._."

"...If not, then, _well_, I'll bust my ass to earn back your love and everything that I've lost in you. But I'm positive that the sweet, forgiving, merciful Marth that I know has at least one _teeny, tiny_ little grain of forgiveness in his heart somewhere. And babe, if ya want something from me... just _ask_. _Don't be shy_. Don't beat around the bush, okay?"

"_Five... Four...!_"

"I can see one of those needs right now... _Yes_, it's all clear to me. You want_ love_, Marth... Not the type of love that comes with sex... but actual_ love_."

"..._One_..."

Marth's teary face crumbled, droplets of salt glittering like gold in his eyes, daring to spill over.

"I thought I was giving you love whenever we had sex, and in a way—in my eyes—_I was_. But it wasn't the _right_ kind of love; it wasn't the kind of love _you_ wanted. And I didn't know that. But now that I see the love that you so desperately desire from me, I _know_ that I can give it to you...I can. _But that's up to you_..."

Ike—arms ajar—stood just about a foot away.

"Do you forgive me? And most importantly... Will you give my_ sorry_ ass another chance?"

The prince hesitated for a minute, biting down harshly onto this finger to keep his teeth from chattering, debating over whether he should accept those open arms, or push them away. Ike had dragged him through this hell for eight months.

_Eight_.

If he gave in, and something broke out between them, there's a strong possibility that he'd go through another eight months or possibly even_ more_ of this unbearable heartbreak.

But—he ultimately decided that he'd rather go through it with Ike by his side, than face the harsh reality alone.

Yes… He was _that_ desperate.

Marth couldn't take it anymore; his gnawed finger was beginning to bleed. He dangerously clenched his fist.

"_Of course_ _I'll take you back_ _you_—_you_ _fool! I love you! I love you so_—_fucking—much!_"

Marth, like a lost child, ran into those open arms, holding onto Ike's back for dear life as he erupted into a volcano of raw sobs, letting it all out. He cursed at him, punched at his chest, screamed at him... what he was saying, Ike didn't exactly know. But he did hear the strained, "I love you"s and a repeated statement—or rather command—that sounded like, "_Don't you ever leave me!_", which tore him in two. The indigo-haired man embraced the racking frame of his companion, planting many, _many_ kisses into his rich, silky blue hair, sheltering him in his arms.

"See_... this is what I tried to avoid... Seeing you cry like this... It breaks my heart, love._"

The prince's cries of pent-up pain were drained from him; Ike grabbed a near by Kleenex and handed it to Marth. He gratefully accepted it, blotting his drooling eyes. He wasn't crying as hysterically as he was a wee minute ago.

"Come on... let's talk."

Ike took a seat at the edge, pulling Marth into his lap.

"Of course there's some things that you wish to tell me, so now's the best time to fire away."

"You... You won't get mad?"

"I have no right to, I believe."

Marth covered his pink, little button nose with the tissue, blowing unnecessarily.

"I'm just... so sick and tired of hearing Link telling me all the romantic things that you do with him...!"

_Ahh, so he likes the romantic stuff…_

The mercenary stopped nodding, suddenly noticed something. The room became a little brighter... The lamp was already on, yes, but there was blue—and a very light blue at that—lightening the prince's periwinkle-painted walls...

_It's supposed to be cloudy tonight..._

"_Hold that thought._"

Ike leaped over to the window, tossed open the velvet curtains, speechless of what he saw.

"_Marth!_ Get a big blanket and then meet me outside!"

"_What—?! What for?!_"

Ike smiled, chuckling as he gave Marth a quick, reassuring kiss.

"...Are you coming or not?"

xXx

Marth, all wrapped up in his baby-pink security blanket, that was patterned with white, little bunnies tipped out of his dorm.

_I sure hope no one catches me. If so, boy, I'll be in deep trouble! Then it'll be all Ike's fault and I'll never stop kicking his a—_

"—Boo."

"_YAAA—MMM!_"

Ike—muffling Marth's ear-splitting shriek with his hand—could barely silence his own as he snickered at the prince's jumpy response.

"_Ike!_ _Geez!_ _Don't scare me like that!_" The whiny prince harshly spat at Ike.

"_You shoulda seen the look on your face! Priceless!_"

Marth puffed, pouting.

_I swear he's still a kid._

"_It's not funny_," he childishly whined, crossing his arms over his heart, "_you really scared me_..."

"_Aww, I did?_ _I'm sorry..._"

Sloth-like limbs roped around the young man, Ike engulfing his entire body. Marth didn't know if it was the blanket that made him extra toasty, or if it was this warm, secure embrace.

xXx

Billions and billions of clusters of gleaming stars leisurely floated around in the creamy night sky. It was like a god snatched a fistful of crushed diamonds and other rare jewels and thrust the remains into the sky, the cellular particles drifting farther and farther away from each other, but in magnificent, spell-binding colors.

The air was frigidly cold, but at that moment, Marth didn't seem to care. He had never seen the heavens look as wonderful and beauteous as they did tonight.

Ike hugged him from behind, kissing his hair line. That didn't even faze the prince.

"Isn't it awesome? It was supposed to be really cloudy tonight, but I guess all the clouds decided to go someplace else... just for us, maybe?"

"_It's... it's so pretty_... I've never seen anything like it..."

"S'called the Milky Way—it kinda looks all milky and weird, doesn't it?—I've seen it many, many times... and I thought this was the perfect opportunity to... y'know... _do something romantic with you_," purred Ike affectionately in his ear before pecking its shell.

Marth sighed deeply, loosing himself in Ike's enchanting words...

"Wanna take a spot underneath that tree? _We could talk some more_..."

"...Okay—_WAH!_"

"_Up-sy daisy,_ my little crêpe!"

Bridal style, Ike swept the unexpected monarch off his feet with no trouble at all, holding his lightweight body close to him, Marth reddening. The indigo-haired man carried him over to a distant, lone oak tree that was surrounded by a never-ending sea of lush, soft grass, carefully setting him down, then sitting adjacent to him.

"_So..._ I take it that you're a little jealous of my Linky!"

Marth glared at Ike, he didn't like the use of the intimate pet name, "_Linky_".

"_Sorry_..."

"_It's..._ Do you know how heart breaking it is to hear Link describe how great a night you two had going at it like rabbits? And how you shared romantic candle-light dinners together? And—and had long, passion-filled walks along Delfino Plaza's crystal beaches at dusk? He babbles on and on about how he melts in your arms when you hold him and kiss him... You do so many nice things with Link, but for me it's just... five-to-ten minute sex, _a small_ _kiss_, and then _whoosh!_ You're out the door..."

He fell silent after that, cuddling up under Ike's chin like a stray puppy caught in the middle of a thunderstorm.

"Link really says all that?"

"Yeah. And because I'm his best friend—and because he doesn't know about us—I'm always willing to listen."

"You want what Link has, correct?"

"Sometimes, Ike, just huddling up under you like this, you holding me tight... It makes me feel like you're not only after my body... but after the sweetness of my own heart. Don't get me wrong, sex with you is out of this world, and I enjoy each and every blissful minute of it. But—if it's not_ too_ much trouble—I'd like walks on the beach and candle-light dinners, too... B-But then again! Only if it's not_ too_ much trouble!"

Ike nuzzled the other subordinate's cheek, holding his hand.

"_Love_, I'll try my best to make these things happen... It's not fair for you, and you're right. We might not be able to do these things everyday, but—_for you_—I'll try... _I'll try_."

Marth's lovely irises lit up brighter than the night sky.

"Really?! _You will?!_"

"'Course... _I don't like seeing you sad like this_."

"...I'm not sad! I'm _happy_ right now..."

The childish prince rapidly tackled Ike onto the prickly grass, covering his entire body with his blanket. He lay his head down on his chest, closing his eyes, listening to the skilled swordsman's proof of existence speak gently to him.

"_Ike's with me now_... Not with Link, but with _me_. And_ that's_ why I'm happy."

"And _I'm_ happy," Ike brought Marth's face up to meet his, "That _you're_ happy."

Marth chortled like a little child, pecking his lover's and best friend's lips.

"_I love you_..."

"'Love you."

Marth grinned, warming Ike's heart, and looked to the envious skies.

"_Ohhh_, I _wish_ I could have one of those stars! They seem so close; it's like I could just reach out and snag one, but they're so far away...!"

Prince Marth extended his hand, reaching for one of the many celestial objects. They seemed to all twinkle faster when he said that; he guessed that they were all laughing at him, knowing that you couldn't just pluck one out of the sky.

Ike quirked a brow.

"You want one of those stars? _I could get one for ya..._"

Marth giggled.

"_Oh please..._"

"_I'm serious!_ _I can!_"

"Really?"

"_Yup!_ You just wait right here! This'll only take a minute!"

Ike—without warning—popped out of the blanket, running deeply into the field of healthy grass. He spun around in every direction, his hands cupping the air, as if he were trying to catch something.

His star, perhaps?

Yeah, _right._

Marth could not help but to laugh at the man's poor acting effort of pulling off something that he knew was humanely impossible.

"_Ike! You can come back now! You're making yourself look stupid!"_

"There's like, _millions of 'em!_ But I'm trying to—_get—the—brightest—one!_" Ike yelled back, now jumping in the air, trying to grasp the sky.

There was a cry of triumph.

"_YES! GOT IT!_"

Ike ran back over to the befuddled prince, his cupped hands forming a ball. He kneeled before him, smiling.

"Hold out your hand."

"Ike, there's not a star in there..."

"Oh yeah? _Try me!_"

Marth shot him an all-knowing smirk, holding out his gentle, soft palms.

"My star, please?"

"_Here you are_, my prince..."

Ike opened his hands, out floating a speck of bright, yellow light... Marth's mouth hung open. That couldn't be a star... It couldn't! It wasn't! But how else could you explain a small, flying shimmer of light swirling around in front of your face?

"_What... What is it?_"

Ike chuckled.

"Alright, ya got me... It's not a star... It's actually a firefly. You're telling me you've never seen one before?"

The young man blushed, "_N... No_."

The little critter gracefully flew out of Marth's sweet hands; it was trying to escape, but the traveler quickly caught the entertaining bug in his fist. Marth was amazed that he didn't crush it. Ike coiled an arm around the prince's waist, revealing to him his gift once more. It obediently stayed in his palm, showing off its beautiful, golden glow.

"_Yeah..._ Sometimes I'd tip out of the mansion for a little bit... To get some fresh air, or to clear my mind... And one night, I found one of 'em on my hand. It began to fly away, and so I chased it. Soon I had discovered that there were legions and legions of these guys flying around in the grass out there."

"Can... Can we go see them?"

Ike blinked; Marth looked so cute with his big, round eyes.

"Sure, sweetie. They're right over here..."

Ike led the way into the unknown territory, guiding Marth by the hand, and soon enough they found themselves encircled by what had to be thousands and thousands of fireflies, yellow and neon green lights flashing on and off. The little prince looked like a child in a candy store.

"_Uwahh!_ _There's so many!_"

"Why don't cha try and catch one?"

Marth liked a challenge, and so he shaped his hands into a butterfly catcher—or something comparable to that—and looked around in the sparkling sea of fireflies, narrowing down his search for the most unique. He saw an orange-ish glow amongst the neon green, and was immediately entranced.

"I want _that _one!"

Marth ran towards the rare bug, following its beautiful light, but then it vanished into thin air.

"Wh-Where did it go...?" he asked himself, looking to his left, then his right. He looked up, and there was the little orange bug hovering above his head, taunting him with its enticing light.

"_Why you_, come here!"

Marth leaped into the air, but the lightning bug disappeared again!

"Do you want me to catch it for you...?" Ike generously offered.

"_No!_ _I want to do it_ _all by myself!_"

The indigo-haired swordsman backed off, holding up both of his hands, surrendering.

"Alright, alright... _Just tryin' to help._"

Marth pouted his lips, his hands disguised as a net again, and resumed his search for the teasing fly. He zoned in on it, the insect making its great escape, ascending into the luminous sky.

"_Oh_ _no you don't!_ _You're_—"

With one last, crucial jump, Marth grasped at his desired bug, trapping it in his cradled hands.

"—_MINE!_"

Only Marth could trip over his own foot and make it look graceful, thus resulting in a rather embarrassing fall. Ike—laughing, of course—hurried over to him.

"You okay?!"

"I didn't catch it, did I?"

"No, but you gave me a good laugh, which is even better!"

Marth's face flourished with brilliant pink shades, and then, out of what appeared to be no where, flew the humorous orange bug. It flew around the fallen prince, landing on the tip of his nose. It flickered its light repetitively and then took off into the night, standing out among all of its fellow, lightning flies. The couple gazed upon the other taking part in a short, salubrious giggle session; the prince could feel his heart stitching itself back together... Ike unceremoniously inched over Marth's vincible, irresistible, ivory figure, spreading his humble closed legs so that he could easily access his entire body. Before the trapped male could even birth a word, his yielding lips were caught up in a tongue-tangling _un_lavicious kiss; he couldn't taste any sexual intent.

Not one drop.

"_I love you, sweetheart_..." Ike ghostly confessed, kissing his way to his curved neck, using both hands to lovingly caress Marth's shoulders and down to his quivering thighs that he secretly loved so much. Although it was possibly below seventy degrees, their bodies were a burning inferno, and that was more than enough to keep each other warm. Marth eagerly groped at Ike's flexing back, mewling like a newborn kitten as the unbelievable man exalted his body with his hands.

And still—no sexual feelings.

Which strangely disappointed him.

"..._Ike?_" he spoke with ragged breath.

He kissed his bottom lip.

"_Yes?_"

"Thank you for bringing me out here... and spending time with me... _It really means a lot_. "

"You're welcome, darling—"

Ike's antsy lips shot straight for Marth's shoulder, but the prince was not done.

"And Ike?"

"Yes, love?"

Marth held his head, softly staring into Ike's passionate pair of orbs.

"_Make love to me...?_"

"_You—You want to—out here...? Right now?_"

"_Uh huh_..." he smiled, "I think it'd be... _memorable_. Plus I've been sexually starved for a week; whose fault might that be?"

Ike laughed, feeling Marth's thighs tightening around his waist, Ike's chances of slipping away were very narrow. The alluring look in the ardent irises sent Ike a screaming message that he was serious... and hungry.

"You're insatiable, _do you know that?_"

"Yes, I am _very_ aware of that. _Let's see here_... _There are seven days in a week... So that's one hour per day..._ Think you can perform a week's worth of sex?"

"...Oh, I _know _I can. The question is, _can your little body withstand it?_"

"_I would hope so_..."

Ike smirked, licking at his parted lips.

"Then I accept your challenge."

"Great. Now stop talking and _fuck me_."

He would later regret saying that.

xXx

"Good Morning, my sunshine!"

Ike—who was already dressed, Ragnell by his side—pounced on top of the prince. He was buried underneath his sheets, not wanting to be bothered.

The small mountain hidden under the covers didn't move.

He poked what should have been Marth's thigh.

"_Wakey, wakey, sleepy head!_ Time to get up!"

Marth remained stationary.

"Hello? Earth to Prince Marth! _It's morning time!!_"

"………o'clock."

"Huh? What did you say? Didn't quite catch that."

"…It's six o'-_fucking_-clock. You of all people should know _never_ to wake me up at six o'-_fucking_-clock. I'm sore as hell, and I can't feel my ass."

Ike chuckled. Maybe that's why Link warned him ahead of time never to wake the sleeping, prissy monarch before eight o'clock.

Or you'd get flat out bitched at.

Ike sprung off the bed, stretching.

"_You're_ the one who wanted seven hours of non-stop sex. Perhaps you should check your stamina level before you request something like that. Ehh, _o__h well…_ I was kind of hoping that certain, fine-haired prince would want to join me as I watch the sunrise… I guess I'll have to go_ all_ by myself... _alone_… with absolutely no one to cuddle with—"

"—_What?!_"

Marth sprung up from beneath his bubblegum-pink sheets, eyes bulked and mouth agape.

Ike almost had a heart attack.

His hair was a catastrophe… It was like he had just been picked up and tossed out of a tornado—sprouting in just about any direction at any angle possible. Mascara that he wiggled onto his lashes from yesterday was not properly removed, so dark, black circles stained his eyelids. Small yet noticeable bags dangled from his crusty eyes…

He looked a lot like Frankenstein's wife.

"_I'm—! I'm up! I'm awake!_ _I wanna to go!_ I'll go with you, Ike! I just gotta do my—"

The young prince reached up and fingered around in what was now a bushel of blue, dry hair.

There was a dramatic, seven-second gasp.

"—_MY HAAAAAAAAAIR!"_

He leaped out of bed, rushing over to his enormous mirror that stood almost six feet tall, bordered with solid, authentic gold.

The reflection was almost too much for the vain prince. His favorite silk, bunny pajamas were all crimpled, leaving lasting impressions that he was sure were never going to iron out without a little tussle.

"_MY PAJAMAS!" _

Then, the prince finally took the time to regard his disoriented, make-upped face, which was the biggest shock of all…

"_MY MAKE UP!_" he scrambled about, "_MY HAIR CURLER! MY HOT IRON! MY REMOV—WAAAH!_"

His leg had gotten caught in the sheets, thus resulting in a seriously painful face plant. But he shot right back up, unwrinkling his ridiculously cute, rabbit jammies and doing his very best to deflate his hair.

Ike stifled his laughs.

"I'll be right out! It'll only take a minute! _I promise!_ Don't you _dare _leave without me!"

Marth began to bolt for the bathroom, but Ike caught his arm, shoving him onto his body.

"_Hold it right there_. _Geez_, Marth, look at you… Don't worry, _I'm not gonna leave you_… I'm not going anywhere without you, _okay?_"

He sealed his promise with a kiss to the brow, beaming.

"Take as long as you'd like—_well_—not _too_ long, the sun might make it out before we do!"

Marth wiped his nose with the back of his hand, sniffling.

"Okay… But it takes time getting ready, you know! I'm sure Link has told you tons of stories about the times I've made us both late because I was still in the mirror!"

"Yeah, he's told me some of them… Speaking of which, I didn't know you wore make up!"

Marth giggled.

"_Yes! Yes I do!_ You honestly _think_ my cheeks are naturally_ this_ pink?! That's the miracle of blush, my dear, Ike. _Ohh_, how I envy Link… He doesn't have to go through the pain of applying and reapplying… His cheeks are already such a healthy, pretty tint… And there's not one, traceable blemish on his striking face… _Unlike me… _Sure, there's cover up for that, which is also time consuming, but it's so hard to balance the shades I have with my very own skin tone! But it's all worth it…_ I want to look pretty for you…_ _AH!_ I'm going to go run my water! Be out in a sec, _'kay?!_"

But Marth slammed the door before he could reply.

"Yeah… Alright."

He never fully understood women and their obsession with make up… Did that mean he would never understand Marth's?

xXx

"Hey, Ike? Should I have gone with the red or the blue?"

That was the tenth question Marth had asked him about his outfit.

He had been counting, not because he wanted to, but because there was nothing else to do.

They could have left thirty minutes ago, but Marth's never ending debate with his uniforms stalled their last bits of alone time that Ike so eagerly wanted to squeeze in. He still had so much to talk about, so much to ask and make clear, and they were wasting it because Marth couldn't decide on what color he wanted to wear.

"Sweetheart, you look _fine_… Okay…? You could wear a rusty, trashed, beaten up potato sack and still—"

"—And _why_ in the world would I want to wear _that?!_"

Ike folded his arms, shaking his head.

"I was trying to make a _point_…"

He caught the prince's head in his hands, lifting it towards his for even leverage as he spoke to him.

Marth's absorbing aquamarine eyes stared intensely into his spiky-headed love, ready to soak up whatever he had to say.

"You can wear anything and surpass the beauty of a god. You have natural beauty, Marth… I see it everyday and I saw lots of it last night. It shines, you know? Like when you laugh, or when you smile… _It's there_. You just gotta discover it from within yourself…"

He kissed the prince's open lips, which were sticky with what had to be lip gloss.

…Tasted like cherries.

"And you look really cute in that shade of pink."

Marth put on a big, toothy smile.

"…_Thank you!_"

He weaved their fingers together, something the prince wasn't used to, and it caused him to glow as pink as his uniform.

xXx

Since it was early in the day—the sun not yet rising over the horizon, warming up their part of mother earth—it was still bit chilly. Marth didn't like the cold, but it wasn't to the point where he couldn't at least tolerate it.

No one else but the two swordsmen were awake at this hour of the new day, giving them time to enjoy themselves a little while longer. Ike led Marth over to the bench by the hand, curtsying respectfully before his prince as he offered him a seat.

"_Your Highness?_"

Marth laughed, "Why, _thank you_."

And he took his seat, his forbidden lover slouching closely beside him.

"So… We just sit here and wait for the sun to come?"

"Yeah, pretty much… I was hoping we could talk a little bit more on what happened last night and why you lashed out at me the other day…"

Prince Marth became saddened, guilty about his actions the previous night.

"_Ohh_… well, I guess we could do that—"

"—_You cold?_"

"_Ah—!_ No! I'm fine!"

"_Please…_ Your skin reminds me of a goose that's just gotten its feathers plucked… _Here_."

The indigo-haired man removed his ragged cape, cloaking it around the young, flushed man, covering his entire body.

"Wrap that around ya… It's not really thick, but it should give you a little warmth."'

Marth did so, his big, cute eyes looking up at Ike with concern.

"But… But wouldn't you be cold, too?"

"Eh, don't worry 'bout me... I've been in harsher weather conditions. Actually, I consider this a paradise after some of the stuff I've been through."

"Oh… Okay. Well, _thank you very much_…"

Marth beamed up at him, his eyes twinkling with utter happiness, severely melting Ike's heart and everything in it.

_I'd do anything to see that smile… _

"You're welcome, honey."

He gave the glowing prince a deliciously wet kiss, pulling him closer.

"_Honey"…_

Marth liked the sound of that…

_Sometime later..._

"_Marth! Ike!_"

Link ran towards the two sparring men, waving his hand frantically.

"_LINKYYYYYYYYYY!_"

Prince Marth—with waterfalls of tears cascading down his cheeks and his arms wide open—scurried towards his best friend at an alarming, unstoppable rate.

…_Oh crap._

Was history was going to repeat itself?

Link tightly shut his eyes, anticipating to crash land into another hard surface—marble this time—but such a thing did not happen. He was embraced by the prince's constricting tentacles, and then lifted up into the air, being violently swayed from left to right.

Luckily, he had grown used to this long ago.

"_I'M SO SORRYYYYY!!_"

"It's—O—kay…"

"_I DIDN'T MEAN TO HURT YOU SO BAD!!_"

"Marth—please—_put—me—down_…"

"_DON'T BE MAD AT ME, LINK!! I WON'T EVER DO THAT AGAIN! EVER, EVER, EVER!!_"

Ike tapped the Marth's shoulder.

"Alright, alright… Let 'em go… He's turning blue."

The wailing young prince dropped his breathless friend who was desperately gasping for air as he hit the ground.

"_It's okay, Marth_… I'm not mad at you… In fact, I don't think that I could never get mad at you... _Please_ stop crying."

_Hopefully you'll still feel that way when this paradise ends…_

"R-Really? 'Cause… 'Cause Ike said I gave you a really bad headache an'—an' you had to go to Doctor Mario…"

Link gave his pal a hug, holding him.

"Yeah… But I'm better now, see? What's more important to _me_ right now is _you_… Are _you_ feeling better? I sure hope Ike did what I kindly asked him to do last night…"

Link looked over his shoulder, eyeing Ike suspiciously.

"_Oh yeah! _Ike did come over last night! He apologized to me, and that made me _so_ happy! _We're buddies again!_"

"That's _so_ good to hear… Marth… I know that there are some things you just _can't _talk about—even with your closest friend. But... just know that I'm _always_ going to be here for you, just in case you change your mind and want to talk… _Your _happiness is _my_ happiness... And I'm sorry that I haven't been a good best friend lately..."

Link gave his royal friend a comforting squeeze.

"...But always know that I love you, Marth."

_Link… you're the type of friend that you meet only once in a lifetime... _

"_WAAAH!!_ _I LOVE YOU, TOO LINK!!_"

The flustered Hyrulean was once again lassoed in Marth's overwhelming gridlock.

"—_Thanks_."

Link fell from his friend's crab-like arms, but found himself being brought into another pair, but these were much more gentle.

"_Good Morning_, sleeping beauty..." taunted Ike. Link playfully rolled his eyes.

"Good Morning to you, too. Thank you for finding my hat. I thought I left it in the doctor's office, but as I made up my bed I actually found it between my sheets… Awkward, really… but I'm still very thankful…"

Ike came to a sudden realization.

"_Oh!_ How could I have forgotten to give that to you? When I was getting your soup yesterday, Pit handed me your hat. He said you left it there in the doc's place when we left. He asked me to bring it to ya, but I sorta forgot… _Heh_."

"_He did?!_ I should go and thank him! Do you know where he is?"

"He might still be over there by Donkey Kong's banana tree…" added the prince, pointing a finger towards his specified target, "…the kids should be over there, too, but they're so tiny and fast I can hardly keep up with them!"

"Thank you! I'll see you guys in a little while…"

Link started on his way, but quickly turned right back around, remembering something very important.

Ike's first kiss of the day: the "Good Morning" kiss.

The blonde shifted onto his toes, capturing his mate's pink pair of lips with his own, creating a soft and deliciously-sweet kiss that even forced a smile on Marth's for some odd, unexplainable reason.

"Almost forgot…" whispered Link with a grin.

"I'm glad that you didn't…" Ike retorted.

Link automatically licked his lips. A new flavor had been added.

"..._Cherries?_"

Ike knitted his eyebrows together.

"Hm?"

"Your _lips_... they taste like _cherries,_" he whispered, intrigued.

Marth reddened, gulping.

_My lip balm! Oh no...!_

"Um...! Is that a _bad_ thing...?!" Ike awkwardly asked, his voice a bit pitchy.

Link bit his bottom lip, smiling.

"No... _I like it_."

He gave Ike an extra kiss, suckling at his lips just to get more of the sweet taste, and then bid his lover and friend adieu.

Ike watched his love run off towards the fruitful tree, shortly after turning his attention back unto the prince, who was fussing with his bangs, apparently avoiding the affectionate scene.

"You ready for round two?"

The prince winked at him.

"_Let's go!_"

xXx

"_Ness! Toon Link! Lucas!_ _Please, come out of that tree!_ The next time I have to ask you will not be so very nice!"

Wow, how many times has Pit said that already?

_Thirteen?_

"_Oooh!_ We're so _scared!_" teased Ness, hopping from limb to limb.

Did these minions of evil see the danger in tree climbing? Or maybe Pit was too over protective? He was always the one left watching over the kids… No one took the time to keep a close eye on the three, little ones and s_omeone_ had to do it. Boy, could they get into something. He did like children; there was no doubt about that. It was just something about them that made him… _happy_. They made him forget all of the evil and sin dwelling in the world. Or maybe it was their innocence... and their unawareness of it all.

He couldn't really understand it… But he found the job extremely draining, yet joyful.

But it was the same thing everyday ever since his wing had gotten broken…

Wake up, get cleaned and dressed, eat breakfast, get his blades held hostage by either Jigglypuff, Kirby or Squirtle and his Pokémon friends, finish eating breakfast, stare at Link while he's eating his breakfast—but he didn't get to do that today—stare at Link some more, _daydream_ about Link, _fantasize_ about Link being a fearless, devoted Knight on a white, noble steed, battling to the death with a menacing, fire-breathing dragon with all of his might just to rescue Princess Pit from the clutches of evil or some other made up fantasy, and then yell at the kids to get out of the tall, frail banana tree, and fight with the others, just to get his wing injured...

Yeah, a typical day.

Everyone seemed to love to pick on unfortunate, little Pit.

He sighed, rubbing his temples.

"Guys… _Please,_ get down…!"

_If Donkey Kong catches them in his banana tree, they're goners!_

"…Pit? Are you okay?"

"Yeah… Just a little—_GYAH!_ _It's-It's you_, Link! H-Hello! _Good Morning!_"

"And a 'Good Morning' to you, too! How's your wing fairing?"

"My wing?! It's doing well! I can move it a bit, but flying is still a little difficult for me…!"

"_Aww_… Well, that's making progress… It'll get better, okay?"

Pit blushed at the fragile hand that pat his shoulder.

"Thanks…"

_If Link doesn't stop smiling like that and using that soft, beautiful voice of his I'm going to turn into mush!_

"Er… Link? H-How are you feeling…? Is your headache gone?"

"Good! Very good, and my headache has subsided. Thank you for asking! And I also came to thank you for returning my hat back to me. I think I'd go crazy without it! You're very thoughtful…"

"Y-You're welco—!"

"_Pit! Watch out!_" screeched the distant voice of Lucas.

"Wha—" Pit looked up, seeing a quick, bright flash of yellow…

_Bonk._

…followed immediately after by a moment of white pain.

A branch of bananas, square in the face.

Not just any bananas, oh no. He had gotten stabbed with one of the pointy ends, plus five others that followed. They fell at maybe two to two-and-a-half stories high, gaining enough momentum and velocity to knock someone unconscious for a short amount of time.

Which was exactly what happened to the misfortunate angel.

Pit teetered and tottered, trying to find his balance and maintain it. He wasn't doing such a hot job.

"Pit? _Pit?_ You feeling alright?"

He couldn't stand on his own anymore; he was going to fall…

"I'm _fiiiiiiii_…"

_Everything's so fuzzy… Feels like I'm floating…_

_Catch._

Link caught him, almost a second too soon.

"Pit…? _Pit?_"

His lashes fluttered, but the angel didn't open his eyes.

Link caved closer, softening his voice.

"_Pit…? Can you hear me?_"

…_Is that Link? He sounds so dreamy… I feel so warm… so light… _

His surroundings steadily came into focus, and the very first thing—or rather person—that he saw… was a concerned, worried Hyrulean.

A _sexy_, concerned, worried Hyrulean who was also penetrating his person bubble.

The colored of his entire face flushed with surfacing blood.

"You alright?" Link tightened the firm grip on the boy's waist.

_Ohmygoddessohmygoddessohmygoddessohmygoddessohmygoddessohmygoddess._

Pit stiffly shook his head "Yes".

"You sure?" The gentle swordsman skimmed the boiling skin of Pit's brow with nimble finger tips, dragging them southward and resting his palm against his sanguine cheeks.

"You're a little hot, you know… "

"I'M FINE!! _I'M OKAY, REALLY!!_"

_This is real, right? I'm sure this isn't one of my silly dreams. Link is actually here—holding me, touching my face with his beautiful hands—asking me if I'm alright...? I'm pressed so close to his body, I can feel his heartbeat against my shoulder...! It feels so good… His breath is so warm… I can tell what he had for breakfast… Something sweet and syrupy… Maybe pancakes… Or those huge Belgium waffles covered with strawberries, smothered with glaze and powdered sugar. He seems to like those very much. I should make those for him one day, that is, if I ever get the courage to talk to him without stuttering. They say that cooking is one way to a man's heart; I guess I am okay when it comes to making pastries... Wait, what if he doesn't like my cook—_

—_Oh my._

_His lips… They're so close… so pink… so… so soft-looking… I feel funny now; my heart's doing cartwheels and my stomach feels all jittery and jumpy… and I can't breathe. He's so gorgeous… I want to touch his face… He seems so unreal, too good to be true… The way his piercing, icy eyes are staring back at me right now, my knees, they're wobbling...! I feel so weak… so helpless in his arms... _

_It's just me and Link… Together like this…_

_..._

_...He's smiling at me!_

"Well, I'm just glad that you're okay... It looked like it really hurt."

_He's getting closer… Oh goddess, help me! I cannot tame this burning fire within me for long! I can't kiss his lips! I can't, I can't, I can't! He already has Ike...! I cannot give into such an impulse...!_

_But… I want to kiss them…_

_I really want to kiss them..._

_I really want to kiss Link._

"_Lucas! Toon Link! Ness!_ Get out of that tree and come down here _right now_," grounded Link with thick, affirmative authorization clearly evident in his command.

Something that Pit lacked, which was probably why the children weren't as intimidated with him as they were with Link. And sure enough, one by one jumped Ness, Toon Link and Lucas from the banana tree, single filing horizontally in the order in which they were called, their little, round faces carrying crestfallen expressions.

They knew they were in trouble now.

"You can stand up okay now, right?"

"Um… Yeah…"

Link—acting as a crutch—stood Pit upright, releasing him from his comforting hold.

_No… Don't let go… _

_Hold me for just a little while longer…_

"Who is responsible for this?!" Link asked, picking up the deadly bananas.

"…Me, sir. I… I am," piped a shaky, tiny voice.

_Toon Link._

"_But—!_ But it was an accident! He didn't mean to!!" Ness chipped in, defending his best friend.

"It may have been, but still, neither of you should've been in that tree in the first place. I'm sure all of you knew that this tree is strictly _off limits_. That's probably what poor Pit was trying to enforce, but of course, you didn't heed his warning! Why Donkey Kong would go on a rampage if he had caught you, and I don't think either of you would _ever _want to witness that... You could've seriously hurt Pit and gotten him in trou—"

"—It's alright, Link… I'll take it from here."

The heavenly being kneeled before the young trio, becoming eye level for good communication. Something he's learned that makes children less nervous or intimidated whenever they were being scolded.

"Hey guys…! _Don't look so sad!_ I'm not badly hurt… I might have just a little bruise, but I'm okay! But I am disappointed that you didn't listen to me when I kindly asked you many, many times to come out of the tree…"

"_We're sorry_…" they shamefully resounded.

"We only climbed the tree to get your attention… Ever since your wing got hurt you haven't been playing with us like you used to…" added Ness.

"Yeah… We like playing with Pit…"

"Pit's really fun…" said Lucas, with a teeny giggle.

"Really? To get my attention? You got my attention, alright! _You scared me to death!_ I don't ever want to you three in that tree ever again! I'm sorry that I haven't played with you guys in a while… But please, _give me some time_… I'll tell you what, whenever this old wing of mine gets back into good shape, I'll play with you all ya want! But you have to promise me you'll _never_ go into that tree _ever_ again!"

Link was touched…

"_YAY!!_ We promise!!"

"_Good!_ Now run along! Don't get into any more trouble, okay?!"

"_We won't!_"

The little tykes ran off towards the gargantuan stadium, along with the others that began to migrate around that area.

"Wow, Pit… You made me sound like a _monster!_"

"Heh… I guess you could say that I'm a bit of a pushover. And I kinda have a soft spot for children..."

Link laughed, his eyes twinkling.

"You're an _angel_, right?! I guess we all expect that tender sweetness from you. You know, Pit… You remind me much of myself. I'm somewhat shy, and I can get a little nervous at times… Just like you. I was once afraid of everyone seeing the real _me_. Not that there was anything wrong with _me_… I guess I just wanted everyone to like _me_… So I was extra nice and sweet to the ones around me. I did whatever they asked—every little favor without any complaint—blindly getting taken advantage of... I didn't realize it until the day Ike walked into my life…"

Link paused here, a small smile gracing his peachy lips.

"…To this very day I still do not understand how he managed to pull me out of my shell… It was so... _natural_, and it just sort of happened. He made me feel _comfortable_ around him, and soon, around all the others. I didn't have to impress him or anything… All I had to do was just be myself... just..._ me_. And he liked _me_... and I'm so _very_ thankful that I met him. I love and appreciate him so much… with all of my soul..." he sighed, looking into the endless blue sky…

There was a brief silence.

"Uhh—_Sorry!_ I got a little... carried away there…"

"_N-No!_ It's—It's fine..."

"That man can be an ass, but I love him..."

Pit looked up at his crush, who wore the brightest, soft-hearted smile he's ever seen him make.

_I wish I could make Link smile like that…_

And no matter how many times he tried, Pit could not get that beautiful kiss they shared out of his head.

* * *

_Awww, feel better, Pit! Don't be sad! Ike will fuck things up sooner or later!_

Meanwhile...

School is a time consumer, I tell you. I'm sure everyone's busy with it…

_I'm sure._

I had to add some **IkeXMarth** fluff… I like the two together, and I was bashing the poor prince _waaaaaay_ too much! Marth needs love, too!

(The sunrise scene was supposed to be much longer—chocked full of adorable **IkeXMarth** fluffyness—but I had to cut it short. Sorries! But I'm _planning_ to add it in the next chapter, though! So you're not completely deprived...)

**Reviews** 8O

**Kufuffelupagus:** Okay good about the PM thing, cause I was like... "eh... what?" MAJORA'S MASK! THAT WAS THE NAME!! I'm still scared of playing that... it's collecting dust. I'm glad you like "my" Marth. He's so fun to write! He's like Link, 'cept more demanding and spicy. I had fun shrinking Link's clothes... Yum. Sure! I'm sorry that I haven't sent the PM yet (busy working on this chapter) So I'll send it ASAP! Thanks for reviewing!

**xXAngelic ScarsXx:** Yes, Marth has a rubber duckie. Honestly, those things scare me. Just bobbing up and down in the water, staring at you with that creepy smile... I hate them. Waah, LINKYYYY! I'M SO SORRY!!

Link: ...?

Erm, yeah. Ike needs to go to hell for a week after this.

**bitbyboth:** WAAAAAAAAAH! PIT IS MY _BABY!_ I'm usually Pit, Link, Ness or Peach :3 Ike is hard to control for me Dx Roy's gonna come back! And I hope you loved the **MarthXRoy** bit, too!

**Sachiko V:** MAN! I forgot to add that part in there (the part where Ike secertly claims in his mind that he did it on purpose) Dammit! xDDD Navel exposed Link?

o w e

-**eye twitch**-

**MOLEST MOLEST MOLEST.**

AWWWWW! I love the fanart! It's so cute! But I feel bad for Pit. He's all like "NOOOOOEZ!!" -stabs Ike-

**lyudesshadow:** I LOVE TOON LINK! GYAAAAH! HE'S SO CUTE!! Yeah, he accidentally hit Pit in the head with bananas...

**The Mad Joker:** Pit as seme? -Thinks _**REALLY**_ hard- In a way... I see it possible. Maybe if he was like, experimenting or something... Hmm. OF COURSE I UNDERSTAND! And if Link and Pit had sex it _**would**_ be sweet! I call sweet sex "fluff sex" xDDD You want Link to catch Ike in the act, eh (Why oh WHY did I have a perverted thought when you said "But I really want Link to actually catch Ike with his hand in the cookie jar..." Hand... Cookie Jar... Eh heh heh... 83)? Link is too sweet, I made him that way so he'd be all loveable. And yes, whenever Ike does get caught (which will be soon) Pit will come to the rescue! DA DADA DAAAAAA! -super hero music-

**Ernoma:** HAA HAA! You made me laugh when you called Ike a whore! Yeah, Pit is kinda sad and jealous because Ike is like... all big and strong and badass and isn't a virgin... Plus he has Link, who Pit's loved since always. THAT'S RIGHT! -joins Pit Pep Squad- DON'T GIVE UP PIT! IKE WILL SLIP UP AND THEN LINK WILL BE ALL YOURS!!

**A is for Angst:** Link IS adorable! (Yes, the random condom. Better safe than sorry!! xDDD) Ike can be lovable, it's just what he's doing that's making me dislike him more... You never know what Marth did to Ike... Or maybe Ike wanted to cheat on Link. Nahh, he loves him way too much. IKE _IS_ SEXXAY. Yesh, I healed Marth a little bit in this chapter, he's been through so much with Roy. He wants to be loved too!

**Wind Kaizer:** MAJOR LOL. I was gonna make Ike give him chicken noodle. But I like the stars soup better. I mean, come on! It's shaped as stars for Pete's sake! Fucking awesome!

**Midnight Crystal Sage:** Aww! PitXLinkness! Such a sweet couple... Yes, Ike can be sweet! But he's doing naughty stuff behind Link's back, which is bad! I love the condom part, too! A pregnant Link...? I can see him as a nervous wreck. And Ike would surely make all kinds of cruel "harmless" jokes on him then! I wonder what their baby would look like... O.o

**NyoChan:** Did you like all of the IkeXMarthness in this chapter? Hee hee! Glad you liked it in the last chapter!

_**Next chapter...**_ IT'S _**KARAOKE FRIDAY!**_ Pit's name is mysteriously put in the ballot, and he has chosen to sing a randomly selected song. When he opens his mouth, Link's heart melts like butter. The little angel also sees things he shouldn't have... (HINT HINT: IKE AND MARTH) Link and Marth... wearing schoolgirl uniforms? Hmm... I wonder why? And last but not least, Ike makes a proposal!

But to whom, though?

And what kind of proposal?

I'm telling you right now that it's not the marriage kind. So no, Link (nor Marth) is getting married... Aww... D;

You: "What the fuck? If it's not the marriage kind, then what the hell is it?" You shall see, all will be made clear soon.

...Yep, we're getting' there.

Review, or **WEEGEE** will stalk you in your dreams...

Much Love,

HokageAkamaru


	10. Pimp In Distress: Part One

Title: A Lover's Brawl

Pairing(s): **IkeXLink**,** IkeXMarth**, Eventual** MarthXRoy**, Eventual** PitXLink**

Rating: M

**Full Story:** _Link has always been the quiet, shy type. That is… until Ike came into his life. Since then, Ike and Link have been an inseparable item ever since they've laid eyes on each other. Marth, coping with his broken heart after the disappearance of his very own lover—Roy—had secretly loved Ike from the beginning. But it was too late, Link was the only one on Ike's mind._

_With his seductive powers and body, he lures Ike to him, the both of them sharing many nights together. And ever since, Ike has not been able to let him—nor his delicious shape—go. Link is totally unaware of this, Ike constantly lying to him about his whereabouts to protect he and his prince's relationship. With whole-hearted trust, Link believes every single word._

_Marth wants a fully committed relationship with Ike—tired of hiding it—and he will do anything to get it, even if that means hurting one of the people that he loves the most._

_But there is one more person that complicates this plot._

_Someone who watches his crush from afar._

_(This story takes place after Super Smash Brother's Melee, the reason why Roy is "missing")_

**A/N:** ..._How exciting! _

I have such a divided audience! You all disagree on a lot (which is interesting), but most of you want Ike to go to hell, so there's one thing that you have in common (just about every single one of you called him a "manwhore" at least _once_ in your review xDDD)! I was trying to make you guys like him a _little_ more in the last chapter, but I guess it didn't work for some of you!

_**Aww**__, __**you guys are so sweet**__! Thank you_ to those who wished me luck in my studies! It's kind of hard adjusting to high school, especially when you have an English teacher that likes to give out weekend essays just for the hell of it and a Geometry teacher who gives three quizzes a week, which I fail, lowering my grade D8 But that's what I get for being so damn smart.

Sometimes I want to give up...

_But Hokage-chan can do it!_

**8D**

There are two parts to this chapter! Hee hee. Just think... if I kept the second half of this chapter in, you'd have to read over **20,000+** **words.**

O.O I didn't want to torture you guys.

_**GOMEN**_ FOR ANY MISTAKES!

So… For those who like** IkeXLink**, this will sort of be a bittersweet chapter for you. There's some sweet **PitXLink** in here, too, and** IkeXMarth**.

**HOKAGE NEEDS **_**YOUR**_** HELP AT THE END OF THIS CHAPTER (Part One). **

**PLEASE VOTE!**

ENJOY THE FIRST HALF.

C:

* * *

_It's only been a couple minutes that Link and I have been alone together, and I'm surprised that I haven't passed out yet…! So far we've been talking about our homes, our friends and how much we miss them… He laughed once at a humorous memory that he recalled happen to him; that heavenly laugh could easily calm the raging voices of war… It was so beautiful… so light and pure… It's hard to think that someone so chaste and simple like Link, ended up with someone so… mentally disturbing like that numbskull Ike. But I guess what they say is true: opposites attract. They've been a perfect couple for—oh, how long has it been—eh, I don't know... But it's been a long time. Ike and Link… Even the two of them together sound inseparable, cutting my chances of ever being by my beloved's side really, really, really short… which bites. _

_I've fallen, what some might say, "head over heels" for him…_

_Palutena… _

_Unrequited love hurts. _

_I wouldn't wish this feeling on anyone._

…_Gahn. _

_I'm doing it again!_

_I need to focus on the present and not the future! I bet Link's been making so many lovely faces, it'd be a pity if I missed them all abiding in my feelings! His lips are moving… but I don't hear a thing… and of course I can't: I'm staring at them. My goddess—I swear to you—he has some of the prettiest, loveliest lips on the face of this corrupted earth… What's it like to touch, taste, and feel those beautiful instruments graze a molten river of fire across my neck will forever remain a feeling unknown to me, I fear. _

_But getting to sit with Link like this in intimacy is one of my many dreams come true…_

_Nothing could ruin this perfect moment._

_Nothing._

"_Heeeeeeey_, Baby cakes."

Pit spoke—or _thought_—_way _too soon.

He snapped out of his hazy trance; there stood his nightmare—the envied Ike—behind him, beaming his rays of love upon his secret crush. He swooped down unto a stunned Link like a hawk hovering over a babbling brook, tackling him unto the fresh grass, attacking him, his lips the deadly weapon of choice. Pit had no choice but to watch, his heart getting a little heavier and heavier by the degree.

Link pried his dynamic lobster claws off of his slim body, flushing a humiliating red.

"_What_ did you just call me?!"

"…'Baby cakes'?"

Link gave him an "are-you-out-of-your-fucking-_mind?!_" look.

"_What?!_" Ike questioned offensively and playfully.

"If you _ever_ wish to see the light of day again—_that_—will _never _leave your lips when you address me!"

Ike pulled Link back into his powerful embrace, pouting like a teething six-month-old.

"_Aww_… You don't like 'Baby cakes'? How's about 'Doll Face', then?"

"_No!_"

"'_Sweet cheeks'_?"

"_Let me go, Ike_—"

"'_Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch'_?"

"…What in _God's name_ is that?!" Link regained composure and turned to the shut-out Pit, "I'm sorry. He's missing a couple marbles…"

The angel snickered behind his hand. Ike pinned Link to the grass.

"I just wanted to give ya another pet name! You're too adorable to just be called 'Link'!"

_Is this just another one of his random ideas...?_

"Don't you already have enough?! Ugh… _Fine._ If you must, pick_ one_ pet name—_only one_—and I'll allow you to call me by that _occasionally!_ I will not answer to any other. _Got it?_"

"…One?" Ike whined.

"_One_."

Ike comically tapped his chin, looking to the sky.

"_Hmm_… I think I'll stick with '_Fish Lips_'. I really like that one, and you get really _cute_ and _flustered_ and _touchy_; you should see the irresistible faces that you make! _Making me love you even more!_"

Link was overwhelmed with those one hundred-and-something pounds again, involuntarily smiling, but his heart couldn't help it. It was happy and therefore _he_ was happy. They horse played around in the grass, mostly because of Link's resistance to Ike's _persistent_ hugs and kisses. His cries of protests quickly evolved into cries of laughter and joy, Pit growing more hopeless.

"I hope you're satisfied with your choice…" the blonde archer muttered, giving up and welcoming his boyfriend's body with feathery kisses.

"_I am…_" he hummed, chuckling, the corner of his tender, blue eyes crinkling, their noses kissing.

"_Yo, Pit!_ Didn't see ya there—!"

_Wish I could say the same for you…_

"—How are ya?! Your wing doin' okay?"

Pit forced a phony smile—_he's been doing a lot of that lately_—and tried his best to sound cheerful.

"I'm alright! It's healing faster than I thought it would!"

"That's always a good sign!" said Ike, placing Link in his lap, snaking his irremovable arms about his waist line. Link grabbed one of them, threading their fingers together and setting their embraced hands against his beating heart.

"Did the doctor make you sit out today?" Link asked, Ike nipping affectionately at his ear...

Then neck…

Then slowly dragging the crown of his tongue back to his ear… Link flushed as red as roses, repelling from the assaulting organ.

"_Ike__…_ _Stoppit…_"

"_What…?_ I do this all the time and now all of a sudden you want me to stop?! _You know you enjoy it. _Don't act all shy just 'cause Pit's here… _He doesn't mind_," Ike privately coaxed to Link, smirking as he repeated his prior actions.

Little did he know, the angel heard every word.

And he verily _did_ mind.

That was _his_ Link he was touching.

Pit dangerously clenched a fistful of grass, hate and anger flowing through his immortal veins.

_How dare that_—

_I want to rip his arms off. _

_Clean off. _

_I want to slowly and agonizingly tear that disgusting tissue that he calls his tongue right out of his mouth and watch him helplessly quake in searing, delicious pain._

_I want to witness him drowning and gagging in his own blood as I enjoy the satisfying sight of his dripping, painted palms branching out to me, begging pridelessly for mercy._

_I want to climb to the very top of this mansion—right this moment—while malevolently dragging his corpse by the collar like the mangy beast he is, and toss him carelessly off the roof as if he were weeks old trash…_

_...I want to be the only one holding Link. _

Pit voluntarily reverted from his demonic thoughts, answering Link's question.

"Yeah… And half of next week, too…"

Link looked sympathetic, disregarding Ike's obvious foreplay.

"It's horrible, isn't it? Being told not to do something that you lov—_Ahh!_"

Ike lightly squeezed his hips, Link jumping.

"_Hmm? _Did I hit your tickle spot?"

"—_N_-_No!_ You just surprised me!"

Ike smiled.

"_Oh really?_ Well I believe I just discovered another one of Link's many ticklish places…"

The traveler wiggled his fingertips again; Link emitting a soft cry, followed by a cute chortle.

Ike had that crazy look in his eye; Link braced himself.

"No, Ike… _Please don't_… Not now…_ Please_—"

Ike playfully tossed Link down onto the grass, straddling over his lean body, attacking his tummy with spidery fingers.

"Tickle, tickle, tickle!"

"_AH HA HA!_ _HA HA HA!_ _IKE!_"

He jerked and twisted his hips, trying to break loose of his boyfriend's thighs.

Pit painfully watched the happy pair roll around in the grass…

Laughing, smiling, _touching…_

His heart sank lower and lower, like an anchor in a sea of high hope.

"PLEASE—_HAH_—_STOP_, _IKE!_"

"Say '_Pretty please daddy with lots and lots of whipped cream and a cherry on top?_'"

"PRET—TY PLEAA-_HAAHAA!!_ WHI—_AHA_—CHER—_HAAAA!_"

"You didn't call me '_daddy'..._"

"_PLEASE, DADDY?!_"

With that last, rousing cry, Ike was sated.

Ike stopped his tickle breach, Link's ear-piercing squeals dying down. He smiled, wiping the corners of his eyes.

"Damn you for being so heavy…"

Ike crossed his arms.

"...I thought you liked having my body forced upon you."

The meager of the two stretched his arms forth...

"_Then_ _come here_ _and make me happy._"

Ike grinned, descending into the open arms, and nuzzling his embraced his lover, dousing himself in the wonderful warmth that was created when their torsos conversed.

Link shut his eyes, relishing in it.

"_You're so perfect_, Ike…" stated Link, combing softly through his thick hair.

"_No I'm not._"

"Yes you are…! _You're perfect_…"

"No one on this earth is perfect, pet…"

_Although you're an exception. _

"…I think you are."

Ike gazed deeply into Link's honest, aquamarine eyes, brushing their lips.

"And why might that be? _What makes me so perfect?_"

That's when the blonde looked away, a messy blush tinting his cheeks.

"_Um_… Well, you—_err_—I don't know how to explain it… You're just—everything you do is perfect, Ike... _Everything_."

It was sweet... Too sweet, and Ike couldn't handle it. That trusting twinkle in Link's eyes, that healthy blush, those stretched lips... He called him "perfect", and he _meant_ it. He was being _serious_. Of course he would say that... Link was completely unknowledgeable of Ike's two-timing. Cheating on someone who you love with your entire soul with their _best friend_ isn't exactly what you'd call "perfect".

Ike wasn't perfect.

Even he knew that.

Unable to deal with such sentimental feelings, Ike had to ruin this beautiful moment with something that was completely out of context.

"…Even the way I fuck?"

Link laughed delicately, much to Ike's surprise.

"…_Yes_. Even the way you—"

"—_Will our next contestants please step forth: Ganondorf, Ike, Captain Falcon and Wolf! Please report to the center of the stadium!_"

"…'Guess that's me!"

Ike helped Link up; he raked out the strings of grass buried deep within his golden hair. Link did the same, brushing the green strings off of his uniform.

"Go get 'em, tiger."

The blonde gave Ike a "Good Luck" kiss; he thought that is was so cute that Link had to stand on his tip toes just to become equal in height with him.

"What the hell was that?"

"…a kiss?"

"A _peck_ is what it was. _This_ is a kiss."

"_Ike_—mmmph—_mmm_…"

Pit drank in the erotic kissing couple like that horrible, cherry-flavored cough syrup that Doctor Mario made him take whenever he had an itchy throat. Seeing someone you've loved since Day One kissing someone else in such a salacious way wasn't exactly easy to stomach. The poor, transcendental boy was getting dizzy by watching Ike and Link's ruthless tongues dart in and out—back and forth—of each other's mouths, receiving earfuls of lustful moans that rung about in his head like resounding liberty bells, most of them coming from Link.

Ganondorf was heading towards the arena, until he spotted the lip-locking men, growling in disgust. That was the _sixth _time that he's caught them kissing in multiple places: in the mansion and out on the fields to name a few.

"_DISGUSTING!_ WHY WON'T YOU TWO _EVER_ DO THAT PRIVATELY?! NO ONE WANTS TO SEE THAT!"

Ike held his precious up with one arm—still keeping contact with his lips—using the other to give the resurrected king of evil his well-deserved middle finger.

Having nothing to say to that, he simply shook his head, leaving the two to their kiss.

"_Last call for: Ganondorf, Ike, Captain Falcon and Wolf! Please report to the center of the stadium!_"

That was a euphemism for "hurry your ass up".

Link—reluctantly—was the daring soul to end their lovely smooch, "There, you got your kiss. _Now go!_"

"_Just one more_… _C'mere..._"

Ike pulled him closer, holding Link the way he knew he liked being held.

_Tight_.

"We have all day and night to do that, love... But I'll bargain with you: If you win, you get more kisses. If you lose, you get _nothing_."

The indigo-haired traveler grinned, licking his significantly battered lips.

"Now _that's_ something to fight for!"

A swift kiss to the lips.

"_Argh_—Ganon, that prick. He's got quite some nerve… Be right back, babe. Got some business to take care of."

Link smiled, wishing him luck, afterwards taking a seat closely beside Pit, who was fiendishly squishing an ant that had bitten him on his calve with his index finger. It was one of the big, burly ones; it reminded him too much of Ike. That was why he was giving it hell.

"Sorry about that, Pi—_Oh goodness! Are you alright?! _Did you get bitten?"

Pit soothed the bright, red bump with his fingers, replying in a melancholic tone,

"_Yeah…_ But I'm fine."

Link softly shooed the angel's hand away, almost placing this entire leg into his lap. He caressed the nasty bite sensibly with his thumb, muttering something to himself.

…Pit thought he was going to_ die_.

"You're _always_ getting hurt..." Link pointed out, digging into his pocket and pulling out a small tube of what appeared to be medicine.

"I am..."

_...You have no idea._

The thoughtful hero squeezed the little tube, a clear substance extracting from it, which he caught on his finger. He applied it to the angel's newly-formed red hill, rubbing it in.

"_There we go_..."

Pit was returned his leg; he didn't really want it back. Link could have his leg any day.

"It shouldn't itch as much... And I'm no doctor, but, it works for me!"

Link put away his antidote...

"…You love Ike a lot, huh?"

"Oh yes… _More than_ _anything_. We've been through so much together... He's my world."

'_Your world', you say?_

"Oh… _Wow_. That's... very deep."

"Yes... I must sound really stupid… I guess that's what love makes you do, right? Say idiotic things? _Hey…_ I've always wondered… Is there someone special to you, Pit? Someone that you love dearly? Someone that makes you say stupid things, too?"

"S-Someone special to me? Uh—! Um—I… I…" The green-loving man softly stared back at him, that famous, treasured smile that never ceased to make his plump lips tremble.

"_Yes…_ There _is_ someone special to me. _He's_—"

Pit slapped a hand over his lips, but it was too late.

The dreaded pronoun had already left his mouth.

Link looked like he had been slapped.

"…Pit? _You're… You're…?_"

He concentrated his gaze to his lap, looking anywhere and at anyone except for Link.

"I_ think_ I am. I _think_ I'm like you and Ike… But I do not know what that is called."

"The official term for it is homosexual, but the more commonly used—and favorite—is gay. But it depends… Are you attracted to the opposite sex as well?"

"_I… I…_ Well, I'm not _completely_ sure… It's just that…" Pit bashfully glanced over his shoulder and onto his crush, examining his lovely face, reminiscing on the day when he was positively sure that he was in love with Link, "…the very first time I saw him… I developed a strange sense of admiration. There are so many positive things about him; I don't have enough fingers or toes to count them all! As I closely observed him more and more each day, I unknowingly became _addicted_. I had to see him every day, or everything around me would seem to go wrong...

One day… He looked me in the eyes for the_ very_ _first time_, smiled, waved, and walked away. Then—by those simple, little gestures—that smile shot an arrow straight to my heart, and I fell in love. Just like that. It was instant and infinite; I didn't care what gender he was—I looked _past_ that. It was just something about his being—_that smirk on his lips_—that roped me in.

He's not like everyone else. He's different. And quiet, sweet,_ perfect... _He has the kind of smile that'd make your heart stop... When I look at him, I get _chills, _my hands get sweaty and my heart races in my chest… That's how bad I have it for him. And if I could, I'd give him anything… I'd give him everything…"

Link "_aww_"ed, "Pit_… That is so sweet_… I can tell that you really, _truthfully_ love this person just by the tone of your voice…"

The celestial being lost himself in the clear water seas before him.

_Why_ did Link have to be so beautiful?

"Yeah… I guess being in love does make you say crazy things…"

"This guy... It's Marth, isn't it?_ He's single, you know_…"

"_GAH_—_N-No!_ He's—He's someone from home…" he lied.

"_Ahh_, _that's a shocker_… Have you told him how you felt? Usually that's the first step in starting a relationship. Although it's very nerve-wrecking if it's your—"

"—No."

Pit looked to his crossed legs.

"I… I can't."

Link adorably tilted his head, trying to meet his friend's gaze.

"_Butterflies?_ _Fear of rejection?_ _He isn't homosexual?_"

The saddened angel swallowed, picking a blade of grass. He tore it into shreds.

"_No_… He's homosexual, yes, but he's already with another... _he's already in love_. And _I_… compared to his _lover_? There's no competition. He has me beat in _every_ category that I can think of: strength, intelligence, _looks_… And it hurts so much, because I'm so deeply in love with _y_—_ERR_—_this_ _guy_, but I know that he'll never love me back... No matter how much I pray to Palutena…"

…_A love crisis. _

The angst words plucked the stricken blonde's heart strings; he had never seen the amethyst-eyed angel so… _depressed_ before. Unrequited love is a _very, very_ painful feeling to experience, and he knew how it could indubitably crush a person's spirit with a piping-hot, iron fist. He saw the same thing happen to Marth, except it wasn't unrequited love he was struggling with. It was cowardice. Pit seemed to be having the same symptoms his royal friend did, but with his guidance and reassurance, he would make sure that Pit and his crush would—_for sure_—become a happy couple.

The "Almighty Guru" was back in business.

"_Pit_…"

Link's hands crawled through the grass, taking the angel's cold hands out of his lap and sandwiching them between his own. The winged human's lavender eyes lit up.

"Whatever you do—no matter how hopeless it seems—never, ever give up," said Link, in all seriousness.

"...Never give up?"

"Yep. _Never_. Love... it's—it's like your dreams... you don't give up on your dreams, right?"

Pit rubicund cheeks gave off heat; Link's hands were so warm...

His were so... _clammy_.

"..._No_."

"What is your most treasured dream, Pit? What do you want more than anything?"

_You... I want you, _was what he yearned to say, and had to fasten his tongue down with his teeth to keep it from slipping out.

"_Him..._ I want to be with him. _He_ _is my most treasured dream._"

Link softly smiled, "If he is _that_ precious to you, then you shouldn't let him go just that easily. By the way you've described him, I think that this guy is definitely worth all the blood, sweat, and tears. Don't lose hope just because he is already taken;_ that means nothing!_ Keep pursuing him! Follow your dream_..._ You never know when something miraculous might happen..."

Pit looked to the sky... to his goddess.

"But for so long I have waited for that perfect moment... Nothing has happened... What if... what if nothing ever happens? What will I do then?"

"_Piiiit..._ No relationship is perfect! Even Ike and I have our fights. Maybe the one you love and his lover might have a big argument one day. And he's heartbroken; he doesn't know what to do with himself... Then you could come to his aid and be his hero... You could be the one to pick him up and wipe all his tears away... He would definitely see the love that shines within you, then, because _I _see it... I can see it radiating off of you. A thick aura... _or maybe that's just the canine in me_... it hasn't worn off yet."

The angel's heart skipped a beat.

"You... you can see it?"

"Yes... I can feel it, too. It's very strong; hard to ignore, actually. But don't ever give up on the one you love, especially over a reason like that. _Okay?_"

Pit felt his heart ache, the _good_ kind of ache. He really needed to hear that, and with the mental image of he and Link finally becoming one did not seem like a distant dream...

"_Okay_."

"_Promise me._"

Pit beamed at this demand, looking pointblank into Link's vibrant, blue orbs.

"I promise... _I'll never give up on my dream_. Because one day, it might actually come true... I don't know when nor how, but until then, I'll only dream about him."

Link's lips made a happy line; it was so precious... He released Pit's hands and they both looked to the heavens.

_I'll never give up on you..._

"_The winner is: Ike!_"

The crowd went ballistic. Ike waved to all of his loyal fans, winking and smiling and what have you. He exited the stage in high spirts; he couldn't wait to get back to Link.

_A Minute Later..._

"_So_, where's my kiss?"

Link rolled his eyes with an undeniable smirk—it became a habit. He approached him and rewarded his mate with his mouth. Ike—giddy—followed his amour to their tree, joining him and Pit once more. Marth soon became a new addition to the party, and all three of them chattered away...

Everyone was happy.

A little _too_ happy, according to the open-eyed Pit.

_Something's not right here..._

He stared at Link for a little bit, one of his favorite past times... investigating.

_Link has the right to be happy. He's in love and is loved, an excellent fighter, beautiful smile, gorgeous hair, soft eyes—I'm getting distracted..._

Ike was his next target...

_Ike... Well, he has Link, which is a major plus for him. He makes sure everybody knows it, too, carrying him around like he's his trophy. It makes me sick. There's something that just doesn't feel right about him. I can't lay my finger on it... but he seems, I don't know... flawed in some way. _

Then he inspected Marth...

_Marth? He's still broken over that one guy who left him, I suppose. But he seems to be doing fine now, which is good. He's Link's best friend, and the two are closer than anything I've seen... But he also seems a little too close to Ike for my taste. But that's just my personal opinion. Nothing odd about him so far..._

"_Will our next contestants please step forth: Peach, Link, R.O.B., and Kirby! Please report to the center of the stadium!_"

"_That's me!_"

Link leaped out of Ike's arms—pecking Ike's lips—itching to fight.

"_Here I go!_"

And he took off, leaving Marth, Ike, and the invisible Pit underneath the shady tree.

"Wow... He's a little... _eager_," Marth commented, filling in Link's empty space with his own body. They both shared an intimate gander, both of their communicating eyes twinkling with some emotion that confused Pit.

_All this smiling..._

"Yeah... He hasn't fought for a day due to that head injury that you caused him..."

"Oh yeah... _my fault_," Marth frowned, those adorable, thin lips dipping at the edges.

"No... It's okay. You apologized; he forgives you..."

Ike friendlily stroked his thigh in comfort, an ulterior smile etched deeply on his lips. Marth pulled some hair behind his ears bashfully, grinning, a hint of pink in his creamy cheeks. He loved it when Ike touched him and gave him that smile... He would've kissed him, but the angel was present, and _that_ he did not like. He would have to get rid of him—if only for a moment—somehow.

"Aren't you thirsty? After all that fighting you must want something to_ drink,_" asked the enigmatic prince, flirtatiously batting his lashes.

"'Guess that you could say that I am a little..._ thirsty_—" he moaned, licking his bottom lip as he took in the sight of the prince's graceful body.

Marth giggled, "scootching" an inch or two closer to Ike, shoving more hair out of his face. Pit eyebrows scrunched; he was pretty sure that the thirsty _he_ was thinking of was not the same as the other man's. He asked Palutena for forgiveness for his unchaste thoughts that accumulated moments after and continued to observe the two men from the corner of his eye,_ and_ the three children who were play-fighting and tackling each other in the grass.

Multi-tasking was a hard thing to do.

"_You should get a drink then_... Pit?"

"Y—Yes?!"

"Could you get Ike some water, _pretty please?!_" asked Marth with his hands clasped together, impassioned eyes sparkling like water.

"_Sure!_" he instantly replied without reconsideration or hesitation. He sprang to his feet, heading towards the mansion.

"Thanks, Pit!"

"Thank you, honey! _He's so nice, isn't he...?_"

Pit went over his thoughts, collecting lots of data...

_Clever, Marth. Very clever. Sending me away so that you can have some alone time with Ike. I don't think Link would like that... If I were him, I wouldn't want someone who was extremely attractive as myself and manipulating alone with my lover. Maybe they're talking about something super private. I could understand that... but Marth turned red when Ike whispered something to him... I could not hear what it was, but it made him smile really big..._

_Could they be...?_

_No. Marth would never do that to Link... They're best friends and Ike loves him a lot... But I've always had my suspicions about those two._

_...I should keep a special eye on them._

xXx

Friday was the busiest weekday for everyone: from the people in the stadium to the Smashers in the manor. The tickets always sold out at an incredible rate on Friday; the reason for this sudden shortage?

Why it was _Karaoke Friday_, of course!

The matches were cut a few hours short, the festivities beginning when the sun met the horizon.

What exactly is Karaoke Friday?

Simple. Every Friday, not only do the Smashers sing requested songs that he, she, or the audience has chosen, but they also perform dances, skits, and just about anything else the people screaming and cheering in the stands wanted to see. It was kind of like a way of giving back to the audience and thanking them for all their love and support.

But this Friday was special.

Last week, Marth had announced to the crowd that he and Link would be performing "_Hare Hare Yukai_" on stage as the opening act. And it was _that_ very announcement that caused all of the tickets to sell out _thirty minutes_ after they opened the booths that morning. The modern coliseum was filled a little over its maximum capacity and all you could hear were shrieking, rabid fan girls.

All of the battlers were in a more, relaxed attire, taking their special seats a few feet above the stadium. All were present, except for the blonde swordsmen and the favored bluenettes.

Pit—dressed in a casual white tee and jeans—looked for his beloved _everywhere_, the kids tagging along behind him like obedient hatchlings, following their mother wherever she went. On Friday, Link would usually sit by him. Sometimes so close, their skin would lightly kiss, jolts of pleasure sending chills from his head to his toes.

The sensual chemistry of it all... He loved sitting next to him for that very reason.

It was his guilty pleasure.

"_Piiiit_, can we sit down now? We've been walking around forever...!" complained Toon Link.

"Just a second, guys... I'm... I'm trying to find someone."

The two groaned; Lucas kept quiet.

"Is it Link again? _You're always looking for Link!_" added the watchful Ness, walking more slowly, in very deep thought. Toon Link matched his pace with his friend, and soon stayed behind with him. The two boys whispered things back and forth, giggling and snorting behind Pit's back.

"_You ask him!_"

"_Noooo, you ask!_"

"_Fine, Geez!_ Hey, Pit?" Ness spoke.

"Yes?"

"Do you like Link or somethin'?"

"_No! _Do you _like_ like Link?" Toon Link corrected.

And it just kept adding.

"Yeah! Like, _REALLY like_ like Link?"

"Like, _ABSOLUTELY_—"

The angel stopped completely.

"_NO! NO, NO, NO, _I _do not_ like Link! He is... is just my friend... _that's all_..." he explained to his little ones with much disappointment apparent in his voice.

The two sniggered immaturely.

"Then why do you talk so funny when you're around him?" asked Ness.

"Yeah?! An' why do you turn red?"

Pit stomped his foot.

"_LOOK_. That is completely normal! _Now you two hush!_ I do not want to hear any more of this from you, do you read me?!"

"_Yes sir!_"

They continued their mission—or rather Pit's—and ran into one of the princesses and Samus who had cameras suspending from their necks from a lanyard.

_Zelda! She should know where Link is!_

"Um... Zelda? Have you seen Link?"

"Link? _Hmm,_ no, not yet. He and Marth are probably getting ready in the dressing room, putting on their uniforms..."

Samus nodded in agreement, a faint smile on her lips. She was a great fan of Marth's.

"Er—_uniforms?_"

"Yes...! They're going to be dancing on stage! I cannot wait to see how Link looks in a schoolgirl uniform!"

He gulped.

"_Sch—Schoolgirl uniforms...?_"

That meant Link was going to be bouncing around in a miniskirt.

A thin, short, revealing little skirt.

Pit unconsciously wiped away the invisible drool with his fore palm.

He was going to spend _a lot_ of time repenting to his goddess tonight for the many "thoughts" to come.

xXx

After their umpteenth time of last minute rehearsing, Link and Marth took a quick shower and water break. Ike—impatient as ever—waited outside of the dressing room for the two men, leaning against the wall.

"Are you guys almost done?! The show starts at five-thirty and you're the opening act."

"Wait just a minute, will you?! I'm almost finished with Link's make up!"

Ike puffed, _Make up...?_

"_That boyfriend of yours_..." Marth continued, powering Link's nose. He adorably sneezed, tiny particles huddling around his nostrils, the minerals flying everywhere like pollen. His entire face was covered in it.

"..._Sorry, Marth_," he sniffled.

"_It's okay!_ I can always get some more."

He grabbed a tissue and took away the excess powder from his face.

"_Finished!_ Now all that's left to do is put our costumes oooooon!"

The prince hustled over to the closet, home to many of the craziest, creepiest, and most colorful costumes that they've been using since last year. But Link had never seen the schoolgirl ones.

Marth emerged from the darkness, two female, high school uniforms clutched in his hands.

"_Ta-daaaaaah!_ _Aren't they cute?!_ I've had them for some years now... and there was never an occasion where I would actually wear it... but they're still good! _Here you go!_"

Link took his, observing it carefully.

They shed their tees and shorts, slipping on the girly threads.

Link felt naked.

"Um… Marth?"

"_Yes?_ Is there something wrong?" He was tying an orange ribbon into his hair to match the character he was representing, looking at his friend from a sideways view.

"Erm… Are these blouses supposed to be this short? And aren't the skirts a little too revealing…?"

He rubbed his chin, inspecting his friend's body.

A little tummy showed, and his legs.

_Oh God_, his legs.

Marth felt himself lusting.

"Well, I did have them for a while… I was probably a bit smaller then…"

'_A bit'?_

"_Ugh_—_why are you so conservative, Link?!_ You have a nice, flat stomach! And the skirt's not too short. Have you ever heard of schoolgirl skirts _ever_ being too short?!"

Link blushed, his self confidence level dropping as his friend lectured him.

"…I don't know if I want to do this anymore… especially while wearing _this_…"

"_Noooooo!_ Please Linky?! You look hot, you really do! I've _always_ wanted to do this dance, but no one would ever want to do it with me and you're the first person to agree!"

Marth enveloped his friend's body, gently squeezing him.

"It'll be fun! _You don't want to disappoint our fans!_ You… you don't want to disappoint… me… _Right?_"

How could he possibly say "no" to those puppy dog eyes?

"For you—_and the fans_—I will do it. And… it's really not all that bad… it's... _cute_."

The prince cheesed.

"_I love you!_"

Marth milked the sweetness out of his best pal, his smile bright enough to light a thousand suns for the next hundred years.

_That's what I want to see, Marth… That beautiful smile of yours_.

Afterwards, he brought from the closet their snow white leg warmers and Mary Jane's.

"I can't wait to see Ike in his uniform!"

"Ike…?"

"_Yeah!_ You did ask him to dance with us… He said 'yes'… right?"

Link did not respond as he slipped on his shoes.

They fit like a dream...

"_Did you?!_"

"I was planning to tonight… but Marth, do you _honestly_ think Ike's going to wear a little skirt in front of_ thousands_ and _thousands_ of people?! Much less shake his hips?!"

Marth panicked.

"_No…_ No, this can't be happening! Link you know 'Hare Hare Yukai' requires at least _three _people! _Where_ are we going to get a third person on such short notice?!"

Ike kicked down the door. Marth and Link yelped unfittingly, holding onto the other for dear life.

"_Let's go_—"

The dust and debris settled to the ground, and what he found was better than what he expected.

"_My God_, Ike!"

"I told you that we were almost finished! _You didn't have to kick down the damned door!_"

The traveler swallowed hard, feeling a nose bleed coming on.

They dusted their selves off, smoothing their skirts and fluttering their lashes... Well, Marth fluttered them.

"_How do we look?_"

Ike lost his voice box along with the ability to speak; the sight of the two most precious people in his life in such provocative clothing burnt his retinas way better than any hydro-nuclear bomb could. He cleared his throat and closed his mouth, licking his lips to wipe up any drool that dribbled from them. To his astonishment, there was none.

"Do you _really_ want me to answer that?"

Marth giggled, and the flustered archer blushed, playing with his fingers. Ike had never seen him in a skirt before. He swept Link into his arms; it was like picking an apple out of a tree...

Easy.

"Now don't we look cute?"

The little, blonde one laughed, slapping him on the head.

"…Thank you."

Marth shifted his weight onto one foot and set his hands on his hips. He was getting _very _jealous. He watched them mutter some things back and forth to each other, noticing Ike's obvious hand slip under his shirt, drumming his fingers about the nice, smooth skin… Link appeared to smile at this, giving his boyfriend the kind of kiss that would lead to other things...

But the prince wasn't going to sit there and watch it happen.

"—Link has something to ask you! _It's about the dance!_"

Ike slid his tongue out of its pleasantly warm home.

"Oh really? What is it, babe?"

Link turned to look at Marth, then back into his love's beautiful, crystal blue eyes.

"Uh…_Yeah_. _H-Honey?_"

He grabbled with Ike's hair and decided he would use the kiss-up tactic.

"_Hmmm?_"

"You know… The dance Marth and I are performing tonight? 'Hare Hare Yukai'?"

"Yup. Can't wait to see it."

Link pressed his lips together.

"Um… Well… We never _did_ find a third person… and we really need one… so… _er_… I was just wondering if you could… _um_… be…"

Ike knew where this was going. And he didn't like it. He slowly backed away from his blonde, his eyes squinted.

"…You want me to dance with you two? _On stage? In a little skirt?"_

Link bit his finger_, "Uh huh…"_

"_HELL NO_."

"_Pleeeeeease?!_ We need you, Ike!" pleaded the prince, tears welling in his dreamy pupils, "We can't do this without you!"

Ike closed his eyes to avoid giving in, rubbing the back of his head.

"I don't know… _Why me?_ Couldn't you find anyone else?!"

"_You're the only one who knows most of it!_"

This was true. When Marth and Link rehearsed, he was the one to push "play", "pause", and "stop" on the boom box. He watched them lip synch and dance many, many times, the movements embedded in his mind. He had to stop himself from singing along and dancing sometimes, that's how contagious the song was. But him? In a skimpy, little skirt?

He couldn't do it.

He _wouldn't_ do it.

"_Sweethearts_… I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I just… _can't do this._"

Marth discharged into tears, burying his face into Link's shirt, wailing like the big baby he could be at times.

"_Liiiiiiiink! DO SOMETHIIIIING!_"

The blonde—again his comforter—pat his back, knowing that this was just another fresh batch of crocodile tears. He always used them to get what he wanted. He didn't buy it, but Ike did, and Marth knew it.

"_Shh_… Don't cry… you'll ruin your pretty make up."

"_But h-he won' dance with us…! Talk to him!_"

Link flashed the indigo-haired traveler a jubilant smirk, folding his arms. He had already won this charade.

But Ike did not know that.

"_My shirts_…"

Ike slanted his head.

"_Huh?_"

"My shirts._ You know_, the one's you shrunk? Remember when you said that you'd do _anything_ to make it up to me? _Well_, that '_anything_' is dancing with Marth and I tonight."

Ike snickered, "_Hmph_, so you're gonna corner me with that? And what if I don't comply?

"I figured you would ask that… If you don't 'comply'..." He arose on his feet, leaning into his ear, "..._I'll put you on restriction_."

Ike took a step back, almost stumbling over his own feet. He shook his head, jabbing his index finger in the archer's direction.

"_No_… _You wouldn't_… _You can't..._"

Link felt empowered by this reaction, and fed off the energy that wafted from it. For once he felt in control.

"I've done it once, and I'll do it again."

Ike dropped to his knees...

Restriction was one of the worst forms of capital punishment that Ike knew. Link—transforming into a complete sadist—would sexually deprive him for however long he felt necessary. Once Ike was on restriction for a good _month_, the blonde wore nothing but sweats and "touch-me-nots" to bed—that's what Ike called the long-sleeved shirts and pajama pants. He could not hold him sexually,_ touch_ him sexually, or anything else that wielded sexual interest. But Link would also be a little tease. He once wore a scanty top and tight, cut off shorts to sleep in, and he would warn Ike ahead of time that if he laid one finger on him he would extend his punishment for another week of physical starvation. He didn't have the willpower to pull away, so he would just sleep on the couch.

Marth helped Ike relieve his frustration a little bit, willingly having sex with him. But it just wasn't the same. There was no other gratifying sight like seeing Link's face as he peaked... or hearing the sweet, sweet cries of orgasmic pleasure driveling from his mouth.

He bowed to Link, kissing his feet.

"Please, babe, please don't do this to me. _Anything but restriction...!_"

Ike hugged his legs, "..._I love you_."

"I'm sorry, Ike. But there is no other option. So which one is it?"

_At least he's being merciful this time..._

He'd go crazy if he couldn't caress that precious, buttery skin.

Ike gave up.

"Where's the skirt...?"

"_WAAAAHN!_" At the speed of light, Marth tackled his secret lover to the floor, waving his feet wildly in the air, "_Thank you, Ike!_ Thank you so much! _Mwah!_"

Ike had been knocked out from the blow to his head against the hard surface of the floor, but he did know that he was kissed.

While Link was present.

_Not good._

Fortunate for him, Link didn't think anything of it. Marth would give him kisses like that when he was insanely joyful, so to him it was just another one of his many ways that he displayed his true emotions.

Now that applied to Link.

To Marth, it was totally different, and by the kiss, Ike knew that.

A lively blush tarnished his cheeks, staring at Marth as if he were from another world. He looked up at Link, who was smiling relatively big.

He and his prince would have to talk about this later…

* * *

**KEEP SCROLLING AFTER THE REVIEWS FOR THE MOST IMPORTANT VOTE OF YOUR LIFE **(Well, not the most important, but, um... JUST DO AS I SAY!)

I'm going to split this chapter up into two parts. I'm almost finished with Part Two (just gotta add a scene) so I will add that on either Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday of this week. Latest is Saturday. Depends on how much work I have.

For some reason, I want to make a **PitXLink** fic... I searched for some a while ago, and like... three came up. _**THAT'S PATHEDIC!**_ WE SHOULD HAVE MORE! SO HOKAGE-CHAN WILL MAKE MORE! YES!

_Revieeews._

**royLeingod:** You're a RoyXMarth fan, too?! They're not my favorite couple... but I do like them together! I was thinking of all the fluffy things that'd I'd like to do if I had a lover, and so those just kinda came up... and it suited Ike and Marth perfectly to me. Oh yes, there will be_** LOTS**_ of LinkXPit chappies in the future!! I can't wait for Ike to mess up so I can write 'em!! THANKS FOR REVIEWING! -gives you a rainbow M&M cookie- C:

**Gathouria:** (By far you have to be the most observative reviewer yet! Yep, his disappearance has something to do with it). Sorry for making you stay up late! This chapter might've made you stay up all night... xD Lol, I'm not so fond MarthXRoy, but they seem so cute together, so I decided to write about them (Yes, Roy is coming back). I love Ike! Ike is my hubby!! x3 Thank you for reviewing! COOKIE. -gives piping hot chocolate chip cookie- :3

**DarkItachi22:** WAAH! THANK YOU FOR READING MY SORRY EXCUSE OF A FANFIC! I really love PitXLink together too, SO CUTE, NEEEEEEEEE?! Cx -settles down- I love Ike regardless of what he does, and I make Marth a bit of an attention whore in this fic. Link is the shy, touchy type as you probably have seen in this chapter and the others, and Pit is extra extra shy, but he has strong motives... Heh heh... - w - Who will be left for Pit? Who will be left for Link? HELL, I WANT SOMEONE TOO! xD You, too, are another one of my observative reviewers! Marth and Pit? Hmm... Link crying his eyes out to Pit...? Most definitely will happen... I won't hurt Pit... I love him, too!! And the other questions I cannot answer yet. But I shall in the upcoming chapters C: I'M GLAD THAT YOU LIKE IT! THANK YOU SO MUCH! -cookie-

**Leah:** Lol, I was thinking about my mom when I wrote that... xD Thanks for reviewing! -hands cookie- C:

**Miss Paisley:** -cocks head adorably- What's OTP? :3 -Is not familiar with the abbreviations- IkeXMarth is a very great couple, but too common for my taste. Yet I still like them, but IkeXLink is my favorite x3 Ahh, please, my writing is horrible... Admit it. -Hands a chocolate chip cookie-

**Mel:** Aren't Ike and Link precious?! Uwwwaaaaahhhh... Ehem yes, PitXLink is another one of my favorites, but Ike and Link? No other couple is better. None, I tell you, NONE!! xD Thanks for your review! -cookie-

**Kurai:** Haa haaaaa, Weegee visited you, yes? Cx Hmm, so you think Link will leave Ike for Pit, and Ike will waltz on over to Marth and everyone will be happy. Nice job, but I'm not saying that's how it's gonna be. You all have to find that out. But yes, that leaves Roy. Who will he be with whenever he comes back? Thanks for your kind review! -cooooookie-

**Sachiko V:** Is it extra scary now? I think this chapter is an extra 3,000 words... Hmmm... anyway... Yeeeah, Ike kinda has to switch gears lot. When he's alone with Marth he can show his love for him as much as he wants, but when Link comes around he immediately has to go into that "boyfriend/lover" mode and forget all about Marth. Because remember, Link does not know what's going on. Yeah... This is pretty scary. Oh my god, on Twilight Princess I love it when he dies (or faints... or... whatever)! Even that's cute! (I'm weird, yes...) But yeah, that smile? Precious. Simply precious. Are you surprised that Link didn't dislike the uniforms as much as you thought he would? And how Ike even wore one? xDDD

**A is for Angst: **And you are one of those many people I thanked for the kind wish of my excellence in school! Thank you!! x3 Ahh, yes... That was very fun to write! I'm not really a fan of MarthXRoy, but they're such a cute pair. And of course Roy wanted some of that ass! xD

**NyoChan:** Naaah, I'm just a regular 9th grader... xD But thank you! Are you happy that Link got the proposal instead of Marth? See, I didn't tell ya that the proposal was gonna be positive or negative, now did I?

**Kufuffelupagus:** Yes, Roy will come back. Everyone has to fuck up first. And it has already begun!! AAHH! You are another one that wished me luck in school! -squeezes- THANK YOOOOOU!

**Ernoma:** This one prolly took ya all night xD I'm sorry that they're ridiculously long, the ones after this won't be as lengthy. Well, he's a manwhore for a very good reason... xD And yeah... Link is trusting and all, and Marth and Ike are just taking advantage of that. I feel bad about that too Dx Sorry that this fic is too confusing. Sometimes when I'm writing I have to double check on things. Thank you so much!! C: Hope ya enjoyed the PitXLnk!

**xXAngelic ScarsXx:** Lol, no, much to Marth's disappointment, they did not have sex. Hee hee. Hmm, the pillows? Yes... I love the fluffy moments! I wanna lover to do fluffy things with toooooo D: Haa haa, I'm busy with school work. And all boys want is sex in high school... Well, the ones here do - 3 - YES! HE WEARS MAKE UP!

**Wind Kaizer:** Ike totally fucked up tonight, didn't he? Pit will most certainly make a move (eventually), Ike's adultery will be dealt with soon, and the random pain caused by fruit? Hmm, gotta think about that one. Thanks for your review!! (CSI? - w -)

**Green of Four Swords: **Isn't my Link precious? (Sorry that my fic has made your mood irregular... xD). Yeah, but Ike will get caught soon! Mark my words, what goes around, comes around! And he'll get what's coming to him! Every bit of it!! Whass wrong with PitXLink? D: At first, I couldn't see two ukes together like you, but as I thought deeper... I can _sorta_ see Pit getting a little naughty with Link... Yes, I most certainly make Roy come back. All hell will break loose then!! THANKS FOR YOUR REVIEW! I'm all outta chocolate chip so you gets a sugar cookie! -hands cookie- :3

**azel-chan:** Most people couldn't figure out what the proposal meant. Do you get it now? I will make more chapters about MarthXRoy until he gets back. "Poor Marth" and "Manwhore Ike"? xDDD That had me rollin for some reason. I hope you liked this really long chapter!

**The Mad Joker:** Wasn't the IkeXMarth precious?! I love making Ike sweet in his own unique way, it's quite funny, actually, when he tries to be sweet with Link.

**Rayestar Ikina:** THERE'S LINKXROY?! -looks around- WHERE?! MUST--FIND--FIC!! OmO Marth is much nicer when he gets his way... Right now, English Two is pretty easy so far. We're reading a book called Alas, Babylon, and it's pretty interesting. About Nuclear war and crap like that. Very interesting. You bet your ass that I'm using my locker! I got textbooks that are as thick as cakes!! And I got a bottom locker, too! UGGGGHHHH!

**Midnight Crystal Sage: **_Last but not least, most definitely!_ Lol, I think Link would make an _excellent_--er--mother? Father? He'd make an excellent _parent! _Yeah! That! xDDD Yeah, I was gonna make the fruit be apples instead of bananas, but bananas was more fun! Marth needed some love, too! Even if he is lying to Link! Hells yeah! Pit finally catches them! I take it that you are happy with this chapter, ne?**  
**  
Goodness! I love replying reviews, but I'm beginning to get so many that I might hafta reply indiviually (and I'm too lazy to see if I spelled that right... sorry).

_**In Part Two: **_Ike, Link and Marth perform 'Hare Hare Yukai' on stage! Afterwards, Pit catches Marth and Ike doing naughty things. Ike invites Link on a dinner date, proposing to him something that might break his heart. Towards the end of the night, Ike seeks Marth, consulting him about his "problem". (Basically this is a more detailed description on Chapter Eight's '_**Next Chapter**_' section xDDD)

_**Next Chapter…**_ Pit tattletales to Link about what he saw despite Marth's heedful warning. Doubting, but very conscious about the whole situation, Link emotionally questions Ike about this, their love, trust, and relationship _**tested!**_

I think somewhere in Chapter Eleven is when Link is going to find out the truth. So be on the lookout fot that, hoho...

**IMPORTANT!IMPORTANT!IMPORTANT!IMPORTANT!IMPORTANT!IMPORTANT!IMPORTANT!IMPORTANT!IMPORTANT!IMPORTANT!IMPORTANT!IMPORTANT!IMPORTANT!IMPORTANT!**

Ha ha,_ now_ _that I have your attention…_

Listen darlings, Hokage needs _your_ help. I just _CANNOT_ decide on this one, _important_ decision! I believe in democracy, so when such a thing like this happens I take votes and I only write what readers want to see! Now, here's my dilemma:

I know it says "**PitXLink**" in the summary. But for me, it just means that they will have some sort of relationship; Pit's not necessarily the seme just because his name is first (oh, but they do get naughty... **SPOILER**. e 'w' e) _BUT_… Some of you might want Pit to be the aggressor, and Link the totally adorable submissive… or vice versa. Maybe you've already mentally chosen Link to be the seme, and Pit the uke, and others just the opposite. I want to make things a little more… _concrete_.

That's easy to understand, ne?

The reviewers who don't care much for the couple? Vote just for the heck of it. I'd help me alot - 0 -

So_…_ _YOU_ get the chance to decide between two choices (and by the way, whatever you pick will not alter the story at all).

Here they are:

**Choice A:** **Seme** Pit and **Uke** Link

_or_

**Choice B:** **Seme** Link and **Uke** Pit

The score starts at zero, and voting only lasts until the next chapter, so vote in this review—include your preferred choice—and in Chapter Ten (**NOT CHAPTER NINE: PART TWO**) I will announce the results in the "**Author's Note**". Whichever one has the most votes, _that's_ what I'm going to choose to write.

Easy, _ne?_

Score:

**Choice A: **0

**Choice B: **0

_Choose wisely! Your vote counts!_

C8

Much Love,

HokageAkamaru


	11. Pimp In Distress: Part Two

Title: A Lover's Brawl

Pairing(s): **IkeXLink**, **IkeXMarth**, Eventual **MarthXRoy**, Eventual **PitXLink**

Rating: M

**Full Story:** _Link has always been the quiet, shy type. That is… until Ike came into his life. Since then, Ike and Link have been an inseparable item ever since they've laid eyes on each other. Marth, coping with his broken heart after the disappearance of his very own lover—Roy—had secretly loved Ike from the beginning. But it was too late, Link was the only one on Ike's mind._

_With his seductive powers and body, he lures Ike to him, the both of them sharing many nights together. And ever since, Ike has not been able to let him—nor his delicious shape—go. Link is totally unaware of this, Ike constantly lying to him about his whereabouts to protect he and his prince's relationship. With whole-hearted trust, Link believes every single word._

_Marth wants a fully committed relationship with Ike—tired of hiding it—and he will do anything to get it, even if that means hurting one of the people that he loves the most._

_But there is one more person that complicates this plot._

_Someone who watches his crush from afar._

_(This story takes place after Super Smash Brother's Melee, the reason why Roy is "missing")_

**A/N:** Ha haaa, well Hokage-chan got into some trouble (again... xD) hence the late up date.

And it was also National "_Give-Hokage-A-Test-In-Every-Fricken-Subject_" week, so I had some _MAJOR_ studying to do with grades coming out soon and all... and I ain't doin' so good in some classes (I WANT TO _MURDER_ MY GEOMETRY TEACHER).

_Ahem_... **IkeXMarth**, **IkeXLink** and **PitXLink**ness.

"_PERSONALLY_, I PREFER THE _AIR!_"

...I hate Falco, by the way.

**18,000+**

* * *

"_How are you folks doin' tonight?!_"

Snake got an overwhelming response from the audience—he couldn't even hear himself think clearly. Snake wore a suit, his hair slicked with gel, and his beard neatly groomed. He looked very handsome, girls from all over hollering his name.

"_Thank you, thank you_... and welcome to _Karaoke Friday!_ I'm not good at this, so bear with me. I'm glad that all of you have decided to come out tonight to see some of our amazing acts that we have in store for you guys! _Of course_—most of you picked them yourselves… but anyway, let's get a move on."

Snake glanced down at his host card.

"_Alright!_ Our opening act—"

And that's all he had to say to get the sea of fan girls roaring again.

"—performed by your _two_—_ohh_, now its _three_ favorite swordsmen... Put together by our _beloved_ Prince Marth Lowell... _Ladies and Gentlemen_, I am honored to present to you, the 'Hare Hare Yukai'!"

The shrills of joy were deafening. Snake ran off the stage as the entire stadium turned pitch black, which pumped up the people even more. The music played, a single spotlight shining on Marth. He smiled, his flawless face captured on all five, herculean screens surrounding the arena, and started swinging his hips.

Link and Ike were separately spotlighted, and Marth parted his lips, starting to lip synch.

_Nazonazo mitai ni chikyuugi wo tokiakashitara! Minna de doko made mo ikeru ne_...

(If we can map out all of Earth's mysteries, we will be able to go to any place we want…)

Link jumped in for his short-lived solo, right on cue as Marth led Ike to the back, apart of their act.

_Jikan no hate made—Boooon Waapu de ruupu na kono omoi wa_—

(Until the end of time, Boooon! With a warp, this looping feeling—)

—_Nani mo kamo wo makikonda souzou de... asobou!_

(—Swirls everything together and plays around with them!)

_Aru hareta hi no koto_

_mahou ijou no yukai ga_

_kagirinaku furisosogu fukanou janai wa_

_ashita mata au toki warainagara hamingu_

_ureshisa wo atsumeyou_

_kantan nanda yo konna no_

_oikakete ne tsukamaete mite_

_Ooki na yume yume suki deshou?_

(On a particular sunny day, a happiness greater than magic!

Will pour down endlessly. It's not impossible!

When we meet again tomorrow, we'll laugh and hum a tune.

Let's collect all the happiness,

It's easy, there's nothing to it.

Chase after them and try to catch them,

You love big dreams, right?)

And with a final shimmy, the three men landed their finishing pose, Marth pointing to the sky. Confetti blasted from different areas of the stadium. The audience cheered.

"_Wow!_" exclaimed the astonished Snake, climbing up the stairs to join the swordsmen. The prince blew kisses to the crowd, waving and winking. Link, too, thanked his supporters, waving his fingers shyly.

Ike immediately headed down the steps, bowing his head in humiliation as his hands were clenched into white-knuckled fists.

"That was _lovely_, darlings... Wasn't that lovely, everybody?"

Another round of wails. Snake assumed they agreed.

"You kind of had me questioning my sexuality there..."

He held the mike to Marth's lips.

"_Thank you_, Snake!" he said, slightly breathless.

"During the dance one of your fans asked me if you three—well, er, looks like two, now—would mind if you took a couple pictures with them."

The prince was again handed the voice projector.

"_I definitely wouldn't mind!_ I will take pictures with whoever wants to after the show, but I can't speak for the both of us!"

He shoved the microphone to Link's lips.

"Uh... _Yeah_. I'm okay with taking pictures..."

"Well there you have it, folks! Marth and Link will be taking pictures after the show! Again, 'Hare Hare Yukai' by your favorite swordsmen. _Amazing_ job, guys."

They headed off stage while being applauded, Link rushing to congratulate his lover with kisses and for once forgetting about his masculine pride, but was side-tracked by a random, handsome devil.

"Where did Ike go—"

"—_Hey..._ Link?"

The swordsman turned around, "Y-Yes?"

He was face to face with a stranger—probably one of his fans—but he had never been confronted by a male fan before… and an _older_ one, at that…

This unidentifiable person was tall—around Ike's height—lean, wore black-rimmed eye glasses, inky hair that reflected all of the stadiums lights, and looked like he was in his mid-twenties.

"Um… _wow_. Sorry… You're just… so much cuter in the flesh."

Link hid his special smile behind a hand, avoiding contact with the vibrant eyes.

"_Th-Thank you_…"

It was awkward being called "_cute_" by another man other than Ike… and even Marth.

"You're welcome… Um, I know Snake just said you'd take pictures after the show, but I'm kind of leaving a little early to go to work… So would you mind if we took a picture together before I left?"

"Oh, sure, _um_…"

He was searching for his name...

"Zack."

"Okay, _Zack_, do you have a camera?"

"Yes!"

Zack handed the digital, onyx camera to Marth who watched the two men chat.

"Would you take a picture of us, please?"

"_Sure!_" Marth snatched the camera out of his pale hands, clicking on the power. Zack scratched his head of beautiful, straight, jet black hair.

"…I have a specific pose that I'd like to do… Do you mind?"

"Oh no… _Not at all!_"

"_Alright_…"

One of Zack's ginger arms slithered its way about the small of the blonde one's back. And this drastically shocked little Link. He would have suffered an embarrassing fumble in front of all his fans if it had not been for Zack's sharp, cat reflexes. He snapped his arms around the archer's waist, and hoisted him up.

"That would've been a doozy!"

"...Th-Thank you, Zack."

Zack's saccharine grin was the product of Link's gentle, faint voice. He removed the bangs out of his darling face. It was like someone slapped a wide paintbrush dripping with cherry-red paint right across his cheeks. Zack's body was really warm despite the appearance of his pallid skin. The two, beady eyes that burned holes into his sockets were an overpowering verdant color; a weakening was occurring in his Link's knee caps. His lips were shaped disturbingly similar to Ike's—perfect and pink.

Link couldn't lie—he was a gorgeous being.

Fans cooed around them, taking pictures with their very own cameras.

There was an even brighter flash, snapping the much shorter man out of his concentration.

"_Sorry!_ But that was a _totally_ cute pose just then!"

Marth hobbled over to the two, showing them both the memory he had captured: the Hyrulean was softly gazing into Zack's eyes, meshed onto his body. Zack was smiling, holding his right cheek in his palm. The prince didn't catch anything from the waist and lower, but the lenses did catch the obvious arm around him.

"_That's perfect_… It's actually the exact pose that I wanted… _Thank you_, Marth."

"_No problem!_"

He received his camera back from the prince, tucking it away in his pocket.

"And thank you, Link, for the picture… My co-workers are going to be so jealous...! We all love you… well," he blushed, scratching his head again, "I love you the most… But, um, really… Thanks… I appreciate it."

_He has the sweetest smile…_

"You're welcome—_AH!_"

Ike yanked Link away from the handsome devil by the arm, stomping off towards the exit of the stadium with a balled fist. He looked over his shoulder while his boyfriend struggled to keep balance, shooting innocent, wide-eyed Zack a nasty glare, sending him an even nastier message:

"_Mine_."

xXx

"_You were flirting with him!_" Ike accused.

"_I was_ _not_ _flirting!!_ How many times must I tell you that?!"

Link threw his hands high in the air before plopping down into a chair, blowing off his steam. Ike was taking off the schoolgirl costume in the bathroom stall next to him in unbelievable haste, snapping at him like a turtle for the _interesting _position he had caught he and this… this... _other man_ in.

"_He was just a fan!_ All he wanted was a picture before he went to work and so I gave him one!"

"_Che_, yeah. _And a_ _whole lot more_."

"Oh, _come off it!_ It's not even like that!" Link screamed to the door; he maintained his smooth voice.

"_Riiiiiiiiight_. That guy wanted _more _than a picture…"

Ike stepped out of the bathroom, the uniform wadded into a ball. He changed into a snug, citrus-colored polo with plaid Capri's. Link was _loving_ the color contrast with his lover's hair and the fitting top, but retained his focus on the current, more relevant situation.

The taller man folded his arms.

"'Care to explain to me _why_ he was holding you like that? And why you were all smiley and giggly the entire time?"

Link stood up to him.

"_I almost tripped!_ _And he caught me!_ _We didn't do anything!_ Zack isn't like that! And he was very kind… and sweet—" he bit his finger, pink bleeding through from his nose, spreading like a wild fire in a dry environment, "—_to Marth and I!_" he quickly added at the end.

Ike did not like the way his little one blushed while saying some _other_ man's name.

"_Oh_, so his name's '_Zack_', eh? You guys are _that close_ to where you can just use his name_ casually_ like that? _Well_, you tell this_ 'Zack'_ the next time _I_ see him _anywhere_ near you, _looking_ at you, or doing _anything_ that's associated with you, the only pictures he's gonna be taking are the ones for his _CAT scans. That is…_ after _I_ get through with him…"

The traveler started to walk out of the door and into the night. His legs were so long, so he took wider steps, meaning Link had to take two extra steps to equal them.

"_Ike…!_ Ike come back! Why are you acting like this?!"

And then it hit him…

_Ike was jealous. _

Sure, he had been jealous many times before, but Link had never seen it in severity like this. Usually, the indigo-haired male was very good at controlling his emotions.

"_Ike!_"

"_What?_"

"…Are you jealous?"

He stopped in mid-stride.

"What are you talking about?"

The Hyrulean walked up to him, hugging his muscular frame from behind. He molded perfectly...

"The way you're acting… _Are you jealous?_"

"_Eh_…"

Link smiled, awaiting his lover's answer, but he pretty much knew what it was. He just wanted to hear him admit it…

"Are you~?"

"A little. But that's 'cause I didn't like that way that kid's arms were around you… and how he touched your face. I'm the only one allowed to do that," he turned around to meet his precious Link, and took his hands, "and who in their right mind doesn't want _this?_"

By "_this_", he was referring to Link's body, his love, and that naïve attitude.

"So… _you were jealous?_"

Ike sighed.

_Was that a blush…? _

"_Yes, Link. Yes I was jealous._ _Didn't I just admit that five seconds ago?!_"

"Oh… _Sorry_. 'Couldn't hear you."

"_Yeah right_. You heard me loud and clear. You just wanted me to say it again... _I know you_."

The blondie smiled to himself. For some reason, and he didn't know why, but… It felt _good_ hearing that Ike had gotten jealous when he saw him in Zack's arms. That meant that he really cared for him and cherished him. There was also this feeling of possession and ownership wafting from the mercenary, which was sort of a turn on, especially in bed…

"But you don't have to get jealous... _You're my one and only_."

Those last four words struck a chord in Ike...

_"...my one and only."_

"Your... _one and only?_"

"_Yep_... You're the only one for me."

Link chastely kissed him. He was waiting for Ike to say something similar to what he just confessed, but the indigo haired man could not. He would be lying to him if he did. So what was the problem? He had been lying to him for almost a year. Why stop now?

"_I better be_," Ike selfishly joked; that was all he could come up with. He dragged his knuckles slightly against the warm skin of Link's cheek, then lower to his throat... The archer heavenly closed his eyes, elevating his head, allowing his lover's icy hand to touch the supple underside of his chin and below, a rigid, sugary mewl piercing his lips. Ike felt the gentle vibration against the barely noticeable hump... He then opened his hand, cupping the right side of his blonde's face. Link softly unveiled his beauteous orbs, fanning his long lashes a few times, gazing beautifully back into their rightful partner's.

"_I love you_..." promised Ike.

"...I love you, too."

Link rested both hands on Ike's broad shoulders, laying his head on either one. Ike tightened the hold he had on the small body kneaded adjacent to his... Link liked being held like this. The warmth was amazing, Ike felt amazing...

It was unlike any other feeling he's ever known.

"...Thank you dancing with Marth and I tonight. I meant to tell you that before you stomped off earlier... I wanted Marth to be happy, and what you did really made his day. And for that_, I will have to reward you_..." teased the Hyrulean, biting the lobe of his ear with his front teeth, which totally threw Ike off guard.

"_Ike likes rewards_..." the traveler whispered.

Stealthily, he migrated the hand that was placed near Link's midriff over to his sparse skirt, but stopped it as the blonde reached behind himself.

"_And that doesn't mean tonight_."

"_Aww..._"

Link giggled, squeezing his bereaved mate, creating a bridge of frosty, wet kisses from his chin and to the warm, tanned skin his unbuttoned polo provided. It made the taller swordsman shiver...

"Let me take this back to the dressing room for you," the shorter male took the schoolgirl uniform out of Ike's hands, "you go on and enjoy the rest of the show..."

"You'll be back, _right?_"

"Of course... _I have the best seat in the house.._."

The sweet, little archer chuckled and winked.

"I'll be right back...!"

xXx

"Ike! C'mere!"

Marth waved to him from behind a tree, which was next to the entrance and exit of the stadium that anyone rarely used. It had him raising his eyebrows; why would Marth choose such an uninhabited area? Nonetheless, Ike jogged over to him.

"Yep?"

The giggly prince grabbed both of his hands.

"I just wanted to say thank you for dancing with Link and I tonight! I know—for you—it must've been very difficult to go up on stage and dance in a little skirt in front of thousands of people—" Ike sighed here, "—and so I am very grateful!"

"…And you couldn't tell me this around Link _because…?_"

Marth simpered like a schoolgirl; he was playing the role quite well.

"_Because!_ I wouldn't be able to do _this_, silly!"

Marth pursed his lips, pressed his chest against the others, and sentimentally kissed the set of matching, thin lips. It was the softest, heavenliest kiss that Ike's felt in days. It reminded him of a gentler version of the unexpected one back in the dressing room.

_Wait…_

"_Marth_," Ike said between their fused lips, setting his hands at either side of the "schoolgirl's" waist, thumbs unconsciously brushing the exposed, vanilla skin, "_Why—did you—kiss me—in front of—Link?_" The prince continued to peck the traveler's petals as he spoke, Ike kissing back.

"_I—I was—happy. I couldn't—contain it. I—wanted to—show you—how happy you—made me feel._"

Ike grinned at this innocent comment, holding the lithe body tighter. A finger had to be put to Marth's "woodpecker-like" lips; the young prince flushed, a little upset at this.

"Alright… I see. But don't try that again!" Ike warned, wagging the same finger in his face, "Got it?"

"_Okay_…" Marth droned, sapphire eyes performing cart wheels, "_Kiss me more_, please?"

His wish was Ike's command. Tongues finally collaborated in a slimy, tangling mess, but to Marth it was a _beautiful _slimy, tangling mess… Link was fortunate to have such a libidinous kisser. Roy had _never_ made him feel the way he did when they kissed.

Ike interrupted the kiss to say something, but—using his peripheral vision—he realized that they were not alone.

There was Pit.

The angel plainly stood there, like a fool, his mouth wide enough to catch flies.

"_SHIT!_" Ike hissed, throwing the prince to the ground. Pit blinked out of his fixation of the couple, comprehending that he had been seen—not that he was really camouflaged. He panicked, and ran away in the opposite direction as fast as his injured wing would allow without inflicting much pain on his part.

_Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit! He saw us! He fucking saw us! _

Ike paced around in circles, blowing through his flaring nostrils with his hands, getting ready to pull out half of his hair. His life was flashing in front of his eyes, or at least his relationship with Link. Before he knew it, Marth took off like a torpedo, chasing after him. He was even faster without his armor, and soon enough, the prince tackled Pit like a wild cheetah on a wildebeest.

The amethyst-eyed angel moaned in indescribable pain. He had hit the earth pretty hard, even if it was just grass. The impact on his injured wing wasn't exactly good news, either.

Marth sat on his feeble body, yanking him up by the threads of his now off-white shirt.

"_What were you doing?!_"

Pit was a little woozy, temporarily unable to form full, understandable sentences. But Marth wasn't having it. The prince shook him viciously out of his daze.

"_Wake up, damnit!_"

"—_YAH! PLEASE DON'T HURT ME! I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING, I SWEAR TO PALUTENA!_"

"_LIAR!_"

"_Marth!_ _Get the hell off of him!_"

He succumbed to Ike's bidding, but before he did so, he flashed the boy a bone-chilling scowl. Pit filled his lungs with air, crab-crawling away from the two swordsmen in pure fear. Marth's eyes weren't so nice and cheery anymore. They were cannibalistic, wanting to eat his soul alive.

And Ike's weren't nicer.

"I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING! _I'M SORRY!_"

"Pit—_SHUT UP._"

Ike's deep voice was the second to ice over his bones, the angel backing farther away from him, but the traveler crept even closer.

"What were you doing standing there?"

"I TOLD YOU! I WASN'T DOING ANYTHING—"

Like Marth, Ike grabbed fistfuls of his shirt, jerking him.

"_Don't you lie to me_… You were following us, weren't you?"

"NO! I—I JUST—"

"_Lower your goddamn voice!_"

Pit gulped.

"_I—!_ I… _wanted a glass of water!_ My throat was dry, _that's all!_ I wasn't following you, _honest!_"

The whole "glass of water" postulate was partially true. He was thirsty, but not because all that yelling wore down on his throat as he order Ness and Toon Link to settle down, but Link… in that skirt… He sweated all seventy percent of his bodily water as he watched the blonde man dance. His throat had gotten raspy; regaining it all back by drinking water was the only hope for his survival.

And that's when he found the two men, kissing, moaning, grabbing at each other. Some little voice in the very back of his head told him that the discovery that he had just made would alter his life in a radical way.

This sounded okay to Ike… and it also sounded like him being caught wasn't entirely Pit's fault.

It was _his_.

"I still don't believe him…" said Marth, his nose proudly raised high in the air.

…_I shouldn't have been so careless… Anyone could've come out of that exit, even one of those fan girls… Once a rumor gets out to one of them there's no stopping it, so I'm pretty thankful that it was only Pit… But still… we were caught._

Ike vented the hot air he did not realize he was holding, and let go of the angel's shirt, groaning as he stood.

"_Damnit…_"

Pit moaned as he tried to stand, his bandaged wing whining to his nervous system. Marth turned to Ike, not satisfied that he let the angel off the hook that easily.

"What shall we do now?"

"There's _nothing_ we _can_ do! He already_ saw_ us! S'not like we can erase his memory!" Ike spat in his face, Marth stepping back at this. But he wasn't going to settle for that answer, so he took matters into his own hands.

"_Now you listen and you listen well_, Pit," the pissed prince began with a growl, "you_ best_ keep your mouth _shut_ about this… You saw _nothing_ tonight, and I want to keep it that way. But if not—and I find out that you've been babbling your mouth—_I guess I'll just have to_…"

He came down to Pit's level in height, mumbling his vital threat. Ike couldn't hear what creative threat his prince concocted this time—he sure could make up some scary ones—but he knew it had to be significant to Pit by the way his eyes morphed into full moons.

"…_No_…"

"_Oh yeah_, you don't think I know? You're just like him, Pit:_ transparent_. _I will do it_, but to prohibit me from doing so, all you have to do is not tell Link what you saw here tonight. Do we have a deal?"

Pit stared apprehensively at his toes.

_My hearts tells me that I should tell him… but then… it also tells me that I'd hurt myself in the process… because… because…_

He clenched his fists at his sides.

"_Deal_…"

"_Hmm?_ What was that?" Marth mocked, raising a hand to his ear.

"_I said deal!_"

"That's what I thought—"

"—and I _hate_ people like you."

The prince was slapped with Pit's edgy, dagger-sharp words, and—indeed—they left a lasting imprint.

"_I beg your pardon?!_"

"I shouldn't use that word… but that's how I truly feel. _I really, really hate people like you_. Always _taking, taking, taking_ from others_…_ and _never_ giving back! That's all you know how to do, you—you—_spoiled brat!_"

Marth bitterly gasped, verbally slapped once again.

"_Did he just_—? I _know_ he did _not_ just call me—"

"—_And you_," he got the courage to look the _big, bad_ Ike in the whites of his eyes, "_how could you…?!_ _How could you do this behind his back?!_ And you say you love him! Why would you mess around with Marth when you already have someone as precious and _dignified_ as Link! _You don't deserve him… and neither do you, Marth! Neither of you deserve Link!"_

The angel turned around, running back into an alternate entrance to the coliseum, sniffling.

"_YOU LITTLE INGRATE! _HOW_ DARE _YOU SPEAK TO ME LIKE THAT! _DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?! _YOU'RE LUCKY THAT I DIDN'T KICK YOUR—_HEY!_ _RELEASE ME!_ NO ONE CALLS ME A _'SPOILED BRAT'_ AND GETS AWAY WITH IT! HE NEEDS TO BE TAUGHT A LESSON!"

Ike held the prince off with one arm hasped around his mid-section.

"_Settle down_…"

"HOW CAN I _'SETTLE DOWN'_?! DIDN'T YOU HEAR WHAT HE JUST CALLED ME?!"

But then he recalled what Pit had said to him… feeling even worse, but not for himself…

…but for Ike.

To be told that you didn't deserve someone—especially in their situation—must've been like a dart to his core.

The prince took him into his arms, rubbing his back…

"_I'm sorry_… I'm so sorry. Pit was _wrong_ to say those things to you…"

"…No. Pit's right. I don't deserve Link... I really don't… but I have him, don't I?"

"…_Y-Yes_."

"And as long as I do, I'll—"

"—_Uwahhhh!_ _Caramelldansen?!_"

Marth broke away, rushing back inside of the stadium upon hearing the Swedish song blare through the hundreds of speakers. Ike sighed, shortly following after him.

xXx

Ganondorf, Bowser, Meta Knight and Wolf were on center stage and broadcasted on all five screens, their hands flapping just above their heads as they rattled their hips. For once, Ike felt sorry for all four competitors and shared their pain… Not one smile was on either of their faces.

Marth was standing next to the children, dancing alongside Toon Link and Ness. Lucas simply watched them, giggling at the silly dance. Ike sought Link, looking towards their usual seat. There he was, legs crossed, hands in his lap, nodding his head to the happy music.

_He must've used a different entrance when he returned… Thank God that he did._

"Link!"

Even over the deafening music, the blonde could hear Ike's manly voice. He looked in all sorts of directions for his mate, and when he found him, his smile took cute to a whole new level.

He hopped out of his seat, ran over to Ike, and nearly knocked him down as his arms encircled him.

"_I thought you left me!! You were gone for so long!!_"

"_I'm sorry!!_"

Link kissed his lips, "_I forgive you_—"

_I wonder if he forgives that easily for everything… hopefully._

"—_come sit with me!!_"

"_Um, actually babe, M'not feeling too well!!_"

Link stopped pulling on his arm. He looked a little sad.

"…_What?!_"

"_I said I'm not feeling my best!!_"

The blonde touched all over his face. Ike assumed he was checking his temp.

"_You're not warm!!_"

"_Yeah, but still!! I—I think I need to lay down!!_"

"_Oh… okay!! Do you want me to come with you?!_"

"_No… You stay out here and enjoy yourself… but thanks for offering!!_"

The couple walked out of the exit, Link very concerned about Ike's strange behavior. It was now much quieter, and they didn't have to yell over the hype music. The little one rung his arms about his love—encompassing him—and pecked his cheek before burrowing his nose into the tangy shirt.

"…_Are you sure? I don't want you to be lonely._"

Ike inhaled the oak tree scent of the yellow hair like a drug.

"Yeah, _M'sure._ And I won't be lonely... _I'll be dreaming of you_."

Link looked up.

"_God_, Ike. And you say _I'm_ cheesy."

"_You are_."

The blonde went to hide his fresh blush, but his significant other grabbed hold of his chin, lifting his head high enough so that he could stare deep down into his lucid irises. It certainly didn't help his mantling cheeks disappear. Link felt his soul rumble, Ike skipping his lips across his brow...

"_You're so beautiful_."

Link melted... It had been a very long time since Ike's called him that. And every time he did, it was _always _special.

Ike was one lucky manwhore.

(**A/N:** Did I just kill the mood right there? xDDD Sorry for interrupting you, _keep reading!_)

_Inside of the stadium..._

"We have another song for you guys… Sang by our one and only angel, Pit!"

"_What?!_"

The crowd celebrated.

"Did you not request to sing?" Link asked, tilting his head. He had joined Pit after seeing Ike off to his dorm.

"_No!_ Unless…"

He looked to the three little ones who stared back at him, halos hovering above their heads. They'd wanted him to sing to the audience for the longest, but Pit always said "no".

So they signed him up.

"Did you three have something to do with this?!"

"You sing really good, Pit!" said Ness.

"Yeah! He sings to us all the time!" Toon Link added on.

"He has a really pretty voice…" said the quiet Lucas.

"_But—But I can't get up on stage… not in front of thousands of other people_…"

_Not in front of Link…!_

"_I _would really like to hear you sing, Pit…"

The angel looked to his right. His beloved smiled softly, and touched his knee.

"Sometimes… If I were singing on stage… I'd close my eyes and only think of Ike. It'd probably relax me… It'd make me believe that it's only me and him… No one else. You should think of your special one, too…"

_Link… Perhaps I should think of you when I sing._

"_C'mon!_ Get up there!"

"_Go Go Go!_"

The small boys shoved their guardian angel out of his seat, "Alright, alright, I'm goin'!"

Meanwhile, Snake looked around for the angel in the vast, colorful crowd.

"Ahh! Here he comes! _Or limps_…"

A laugh spread around the arena as the public watched Pit hobble on stage. He was handed a microphone by one of the staff members.

"I see you're not feelin' too good, bud."

"Yeahh… I've um… had a rough week."

"Are you well enough to sing a song for all of us?"

"I… Truthfully, I really wasn't—"

His fans groaned in the stands…

"Aww, just one song won't hurt…" beseeched Snake.

"_Well_… I suppose I could sing one song…"

"_Alright!_ Step right this way, please."

The angel followed the host to the center of the stage, looking up at the giant screen before them. Upon it were a list of a few songs out of billions; whichever one Pit wanted to vocalize, all he had to do was choose one. But which one, exactly?

"Since you didn't list a specific song on your card, we've listed some for you. _Take your pick!_"

Everyone shouted at the brunet, wanting him to sing this and sing that… Some of the songs on the board he's never even heard of!

"'_Emotion_', Pit! Sing '_Emotion_'!"

"No! '_First Love_'!"

"Ahh… Um…"

"_Emotion_" was almost his song of choice, until he saw the one and only hymn he knew in bits and pieces.

"Snake…? I think I'm gonna go with '_Simple and Clean_'…"

Everyone hooted.

"'_Simple and Clean'_? Alright, if that's what you want, _then go for it!_ The stage is all yours!"

Snake left the nervous angel in the middle of the enormous stage, which was also like leaving him in the deepest ocean teeming with man-eating sharks without a life jacket. Millions of pairs of eyes were all on him… Watching him… Poking at his milky skin. Now he was the center of attention, the most uncomfortable position to be in for a person like Pit. All he wanted to do was crawl under a rock… or be the spectator, watching from the safe sidelines. But now, it was his time to shine… Whether he wanted to didn't matter.

The stadium was reduced to a murmur.

"_YAAAAAY_, PIT!"

"_WOO HOO!_ SING, SING, SING!"

The brunet turned towards the Smasher's section, facing the teeny voices amongst the silent crowd. His two, more assertive little ones cheered him on, Ness hopping up and down in his chair. Pit would've told him to sit before he broke an arm of a leg, and he almost did but he quickly remembered that all of the audience would hear him with the microphone up to his lips. Lucas was like a mini Pit—he was the one to calm his friend. Toon Link was sitting in Link's lap, restless. He kicked his little feet, his fists punching the air. The elder blonde peeked from behind the eclipse of the younger swordsman's head, smiling with incalculable sweetness. Even from where the angel was standing, Link still gave him the goose bumps.

"Whenever you're ready…" Snake reminded.

Pit nodded once.

"'_Simple and Clean'_, people! _Maestro!_"

Pit clenched the mike, parting his thin lips as he carefully closed his eyes...

_When you walk away,_

_You don't hear me say,_

"_Please, Oh baby, don't go…_

_Simple and clean is the way that you're making me feel tonight…_

_It's hard to let it go…"_

The lights dimmed for theatrical effects, then a very radiant spotlight highlighted the angel, his skin glowing as bright as the stars whose very own light began to penetrate the inevitable, evening sky.

_You're giving me…_

_Too many things…_

_Lately, you're all I need…_

The angel's lips smirked here as he thought of his precious blonde.

_You smiled at me…_

Link couldn't believe his ears.

This delicate, beautiful voice couldn't have possibly belonged to the shaky, prone-to-confusion Pit. He sang like… like an angel…

He _was_ an angel…

_The daily things—_

_like this and that and what is what_

—_that keep us all busy_

_Are confusing me…_

_That's when you came to me…_

"_See_, Link! Can't Pit sing really good?!"

Link—ensorcelled by the angelic melody, didn't answer the little swordsman.

"Hellllooo?!"

"Ah? Yes?"

"Isn't Pit's singing the best?!"

"Yes, little one… He's… _amazing_."

_Hold me…_

_Whatever lies beyond this morning—_

—_Is a little later on…_

_Regardless of warnings, the future doesn't scare me at all…_

_Nothing's like before…!_

Link curtained his eyes…

_Why would he seal away such a beautiful voice…? I do not understand… Not taking advantage of the gift that was bestowed upon him … It's a waste._

_Every word that drips from his mouth, I submit to it, and only Ike has this kind of power over me…_

_It's scary… But he's captured my heart—the easy ones are always roped in…_

…_I've… I've fallen in love with an angel's voice._

The song ended with a big bang, sparks raining upon the crowd like white snow, jolting Pit's eyes open. Everyone stood in their seats, hollering and applauding for the angel.

_Did… Did I…?_

Never in a million years would he have thought to sing in front of a massive crowd, and even then he probably still wouldn't have considered it. _But he did_. The brunet nervously smiled, looking in Link's direction. He was standing along with the rest, a big, proud smile on his face…

He was clapping for him… Everyone was.

"Uhh…_Thank you… Thank you so much_."

The audience got even louder… it was a magical moment for Pit.

He could tell that Palutena was _very_ proud of him.

Snake approached the winged being as the crowd steadily calmed down.

"I would've never known that such a beautiful voice resided in you if you had not come to this stage… You sang your heart out, Pit, you put feeling into that song… and I think _that_ was some of the_ best_ singing that I've heard in a _very_ long time! Wouldn't you all agree?"

The mob of fans clamored in unison.

Pit blushed, "Thank you…"

Snake gave him more compliments before he left the stage, but was tackled to the ground by all three kids.

"WE KNEW YOU COULD DO IT!"

"NANA AND POPO WILL BE SO HAPPY, PIT!"

Lucas laughed, hugging the angel's leg.

"_Thank you, thank you_… My wing, guys… Don't forget about my wing!"

Link stood back, admiring the heart-warming view. The children congratulated him, squealing happily.

"Now, now… Don't suffocate him!"

Toon Link, Ness and Lucas removed their bodies off of him as Link held out a hand. Pit accepted it, the blonde lifting him onto his feet…

"Thanks, Li—"

Link forced his body onto Pit's, hugging him, but careful not to cause any harm to his wing. Amethyst eyes widened thrice their original sizes; the angel was paralyzed… The kids "Oooou"ed, Lucas giggling.

"_You sing so beautifully_…"

_Link is so warm… _

Pit embraced him back—his arms becoming ones of an octopus—he wasn't going to let this grand opportunity slip by him… The skin of their cheeks brushed the other, urging the brunet to kiss his beloved's.

"_Thank you_…"

"_Your precious one_… Has he _ever_ heard you sing?"

Link let go of his body, surprised to see a rather big smile on the other celestial male's face.

"_Now he has_…"

_Some hours after the show..._

Link had never taken so many pictures_ in his life_. Some of the fans tried to take him home, but thanks to tight security, that never did happen. All the archer wanted to do was have a peaceful night alone with the company of his lover, and perhaps even share another home-cooked meal.

Link scanned his fridge. It was almost empty; Ike's bottomless ditch for a stomach was to blame. He would have to make another trip to the grocery store to stock up again for the fifth time that month. He enjoyed cooking, and doing it for the one that he loved who had nothing but positive, uplifting comments, but he didn't know that it would be so exhausting! There were some leftovers from the other night, but Link wasn't in the mood for all that reheating and nuking. There were some things that he could quickly whip up, like a healthy garden salad, but he knew that Ike wouldn't want what he nicknamed "rabbit food".

_Maybe I should just ask him what he'd like… that'd save me the hassle._

And in walked the living dead, right on cue. His love had taken a quick nap in his dorm and promised to meet him before dinner earlier.

"Hello," the shorter man welcomed his significant other a warm hug, "Have a nice nap?"

"Yeah… 'Dreamed about ya, too... 'Wish I could of slept a little longer… but I remembered that I had something special planned for tonight—_Are you still wearing that?!_"

"_Special"…? And what could that possibly be? _

"_Yes!_ It is _definitely_ lighter than wearing my battle gear. I get really hot and sweaty carrying around all that I do on my suit, and _this_ is strangely comfortable…"

Ike lay on his mate's bed, sighing deeply. Link followed, sitting beside him, dragging fingers through the luscious, indigo forest.

"Admit it. You like the schoolgirl outfit."

He horribly blushed, "_W-Well!_ _What if I do?! I don't see anything wrong with wanting to be comfortable!_"

"_Reeeelllaaxxx_, sweetie. No need to get all defensive..."

With one arm, Ike gripped his waist, and pulled his petite mate on top of his body.

"…_Do me a favor_… ask Marth if you could borrow that for a little bit longer. We could play '_Teacher and Student_' sometime… _And guess whose sensei?_"

Link flashed beet red, childishly beating on Ike's chest like drums before he could even_ finish_ his thought.

"_SHUDDUP, IKE!_"

Ike chuckled to himself, holding Link's wriggling body, massaging his back to settle him down.

"_Ha…_ I'm just playing… I'm not being serious… _Or maybe I am…?_" Ike replied, raising an eyebrow.

Link, the color in his cheeks finally subsiding, rolled his eyes and attempted to change the subject.

"What would you like for dinner? There are leftovers from last night… but I wouldn't mind cooking something…"

The indigo-haired swordsman smiled, his azure eyes also smirking as if he knew something that Link didn't.

And he did.

"You don't have to cook _anything_ tonight, babe, 'cause we're going _out_ to eat."

Link flapped his thick lashes.

"…_Out to eat?_"

Ike laughed, slapping his forehead.

"_Ah_… _That's right_. You didn't know… _Surprised?_ I made a reservation a couple weeks ago at this fancy, French place—and_ man_ was it hard to book a table for two. But I got one… and I figured that you could use a break from all that delicious cooking…"

He licked his lips before pecking Link's rounded nose.

"Pick out something nice to wear and meet me out front at eight-thirty, _'kay?_"

Link—dumbfounded—simply nodded, doing what he did best: looking illegally cute and totally lost.

Ike _adored_ it.

"See you in a bit."

He left the room, and leaving Link stunned, ecstatic, anxious, nervous and countless other emotions.

…_French place?! Out to eat?! Ike and I have never gone out to eat! We've only had dinner at the mansion, and a couple of private meals that I've personally prepared for ourselves, but never out in public! _

But there was something _way_ more important that he needed to focus in on.

Like what he was going to wear.

xXx

"…And so he asked me to 'pick out something nice to wear'. I'm thinking semi-formal or casual, but the problem is, I don't have any semi-formal _or_ casual clothes… So I was wondering if I could… perhaps, _borrow_ a little something just for tonight? And if you could help me with my wardrobe? I don't have much of a fashion sense like you do…"

Marth genuinely smiled.

"_Aww! My little Linky's going on his first dinner date!_ You've come to the _right_ person! _Sure pumpkin!_ Right this way!"

Marth had two closets: one for his uniforms, the other for his designer, going out, and lazy day clothes. He opened his compartment, and Link stood in awe.

"Sorry that there's not much to choose from, those _damn_ managers told me that I could only 'have a certain amount of clothes'. Thank _God_ that you came along and dragged me out of there when you did. If I had stayed just a minute longer I would've _definitely_ came out with a body bag…"

_Not much to choose from?!_

Marth's closet was a shopping center, no wonder why the next dorm beside him was _ten_ feet away instead of standard _three_ like everyone else's. The walls were painted pink—Marth_ loved_ pink—and all of his clothes and shoes were labeled under a season:_ Fall_, _Winter_,_ Spring_, and _Summer_.

Honestly, Link didn't know where to start.

"_So!_ Did you have anything in mind?"

"Um—something warm? I've heard that fancy restaurants are ridiculously cold…"

His attention was immediately snagged by a very snazzy, green dress shirt. This would do, but he would have to get Marth's approval and personal opinion.

"What do you think about this, Marth?"

The prince looked over his shoulder—already having a couple blouses draped over his arm—and shook his head in a disapproving manner.

"_No_. No more green,_ please_."

"But... But _green_ is the only color that works for me...!" groaned Link.

"_No… Green_ is the only color that you _love!_ Link, you have such a beautiful, honey complexion! You're the hues expert, right? There are _so_ many other colors that would wonderfully complement your skin tone."

The blonde sighed, hanging the shirt back onto the rack. It was in the "_Summer_" section of the closet anyway; it definitely wasn't summer.

_This is going to be tougher than I originally thought… But he's right; maybe I shouldn't resort to green so much… I'll just go along with his expertise. _

Prince Marth called his short friend over time and time again to have him look at some of his pants and shirts. He would elaborate on why he chose the particular article of clothing for him and asked the blonde if he liked it.

"I don't want anything too—um—sexy."

"_What?!_ Don't you want Ike to _drool _all over you?!"

"Well, I want him to drool, but still focus on me. You know how easily distracted he gets…"

_Yes… Yes I do._

In the end, Marth had circa seven different outfits for his best friend to try on, and Link had to hurry: it was approximately eight o' clock, and it'd be eight-thirty in the blink of an eye. He zipped in and out of the bathroom, shoving on and tearing off the flashy threads—but also having some respect for his pal's clothes—and stepping out, positioning himself in Marth's three-sided mirror so that he could have his say in what he thought.

The one's he had chosen looked—as he had envisioned—_fabulous_ on his petite friend, but they didn't… _wow_ him. They were all very nice, but neither one screamed "_Pick me! Pick me!_"

It was up to lucky outfit number seven.

"_Oh no_. I am _not_ wearing this…"

Marth jogged over to the bathroom door.

"You _finally_ have it on?! _Come out! Let me see!_"

"_Wah… _But I can hardly_ breathe_ in this."

"It can't be _that_ bad. Just come out here and let me take a look at you! I'll see what I can fix."

A moment of silence.

Link opened the door—stiff as a board—and waddled over to the mirrors.

Marth gasped.

_Ike… I now see why you're so addicted to his body._

"Yes. _This is the one_."

The prince thoroughly examined his best friend's wardrobe head to toe: A dark-chocolate brown long sleeved turtleneck that clung to him like a second skin, dark denim skinny jeans that were oh so deliciously tight, and Sperry's that were the same color as his fitting blouse.

"Must these jeans be so tight? My poor legs are suffocating…"

"Oh, _quit your whining!_ It pays to be pretty! You have curves in your upper torso, which obviously calls for a fitting shirt to vaunt them. I also picked this specific color because it makes your skin look warmer, and it's very fall themed!"

"Yes… I can see that."

"Now as for the jeans—_again_—I chose a dark color because of the fall season… and for the love of God _look at your_ _legs!_ You have the graceful, vexatious legs of a woman, and that my friend is a complement! Sometimes I just wanna to tear 'em off and put them on _my_ body! That's how jealous I am of you! I thought skinny jeans would bring out the feature best and—turn sideways for me?"

Link did so.

"_Look at that!_ _Look at that beautiful, scrumptious ass on you!_ Wouldn't you want to show that off?!"

"Uhh… I guess so…?"

"'If you've got it, _flaunt it'_ is what I always say, and you, my dear, _have it!_"

Link took some time to look over his firm bottom, apple-cheeked by Marth's admiration towards his rear. He did have a point though. His ass was beautiful and scrumptious, and his short, adorable legs were absolutely ones to envy. He liked this outfit better than all the rest… if it could've been a little less constricting he would've liked it even more, but Marth's reasons for the flirty clothing seemed good enough.

"It's simple _and_ sexy! 'You like it?"

"I love it…" Link replied automatically, turning to his sides, checking himself out.

"_Great!_ Now all there's left to do is spruce up your hair a little bit, add some eye liner and—"

"—_Eye liner?_ When did we _ever_ agree on that?"

"It'd look really nice on you, and with your outfit! I won't put it on too heavy! You'll barely even notice it, _I promise!_"

The archer preferred to be natural when it came to looks, but the assurance and hurt that leaked from his friend's sapphires made him reconsider. He was his first project after all.

"Alright, but just this once. And _only _a little…!"

"_YAY!!_ Hurry, _into the bathroom!_ You only have ten minutes left!"

xXx

Link felt like a canvas; Marth the Picasso.

First, the prince painted on a thin line of brown, liquid eye liner just above his lashes, an expression of extreme concentration riddled all over his face.

Second came the chocolate brown mascara. The poor blonde was terrified of the scary-looking, prickly brush touching his eye in the beginning, but he placed his total trust in his friend and not once did it come in contact with his precious, azure irises.

And last but not least, lip gloss: "_Melon Mystique"._

"This shade'll give your lips more of a sassy pout, and it's almost the same color as them, too, so it blends in really well! It's also long lasting, so it won't rub off after you eat or drink… _and rip Ike's lips off!_"

Link laughed, frolicly bonking Marth on the head.

_I hate pretending like this… _

The make-up artist unscrewed the top of the skinny bottle, gripped his chin, and quickly yet neatly flicked the slanted tip across his top lip. Link mentally noted that it smelt very nice—just like tropical melons—and it was also very cold and creamy. The prince now applied the gloss onto his bottom lip with more caution.

"Okay, rub your lips together, and then let go, but as you do that make a loud, poppish-like noise. Like this…"

He demonstrated, popping his pink tulips perfectly. Link—putting too much thought into it—mimicked Marth as best as he could, his pop not so loud.

"_No no_, a_ big_ pop. Like _this_."

He did it again, but more slowly. The second time Link over-exaggerated his pop, which was what the prince was aiming for. He retouched some areas that needed a little more gloss to even it out. He fastened the top back onto his lip gloss, grinning happily.

"_There you go!_ You're all set, sweetie."

The short man hopped down from the marble counter and examined himself in the mirror.

There wasn't much of a difference, except his eyes were more defined and his lashes were extremely coquettish if he batted them. He didn't need an artificial glow for his cheeks, and with the help of the tangy lip gloss his luscious petals shimmered in the fluorescent bathroom light, which was definitely going to make it harder on Ike to _not_ kiss them. Marth sprayed a little oil sheen to his hair that _also_ held the aroma of melons. Link felt like a fruit.

After a few moments of mirror gazing, Link faced his amigo, nervously biting the fleshy insides of his bottom lip.

"_So_… How do I look?"

"_Like_ _sex on legs!_ Your date with Ike will go perfect... _Trust me!_"

This spread a gracious, thankful smile over the glazed lips. Link gave his best friend a warm, sincere bear hug, nearly knocking him down.

"_Thank you…!_ I couldn't have possibly done this without your help!"

"Yeah yeah, I love you, too. Now go on, Cinderella! You were supposed to be at the entrance seven minutes ago!"

xXx

Link sluggishly strutted down the hall in utter_ fear_ that his trousers would rip. He was stumbling a bit, too, not accustomed to Marth's binding pants. They did not allow him to take long strides, resulting in him walking at a quick, yet tiring pace. Link was not one to be late.

_I'm already eight minutes behind_, he thought, rushing down the second flight of stairs.

"…And so then he just turned around and left! _Left!_ Can you _believe _that?! If he didn't want to do the duet then he should've just told me!"

Ike looked at his watch, monitoring the time, absent-mindedly listening to the lovely Princess Peach yap on and on about Mario and his lack in romance. Pit had gotten dragged into the conversation as well, sipping on his pink lemonade that she'd prepared and sending glares of death to Link's boyfriend.

_He's crazy... Having Link and getting to touch him and kiss him should be enough for anybody! But Ike has to have two partners! Palutena... What should I do? I want to tell Link, but I don't want to risk the friendship that I've developed within him... I desperately seek your guidance..._

Ike was dressed in a black dress shirt with a tie that was identical to his hair color—which he dared to comb through—around his neck. He chose to wear jeans over dress pants, and shiny black shoes.

It was a peculiar sight.

"_Ike!_"

He turned towards his lover's reflected voice.

Link skipped over to the trio, resting his hands on his knees, drained from all that walking.

"Hello!" Peach sweetly greeted.

"Hello Peach, _Pit_." Link shot Pit a dazzling smile from a low level.

He was still speechless, ogling over the edible man.

Once he regained his normal, breathing pattern, the blonde one hugged Ike tightly, all his words sloshing together in one horrible, run-on sentence.

"_I'msorrythatI'mlateit'sjustthatIdidn'tknowwhattowearandsoIaskedMarthforhelpandhepickedoutsomanyoutfitsandthenwedidmakeupand_—"

Ike hushed him with a finger, "_It's okay_... You're just a few minutes late, _no big deal..._ You look great, by the way."

He looked behind Link, more than happy to see the little, round lump that looked so delicious in those jeans.

"_Hello legs_..."

Ike paced around him in a circle, like a shark encircling its prey in the open ocean, like a satellite floating miles above the earth.

Link crossed his arms, never thinking that he'd _actually_ have to say this.

"_Eyes up here_, please."

Ike stopped his probing. "Hm? _Oh._ Right."

Peach giggled; Pit felt guilty. He himself couldn't stop staring at that tempting, inducing ass. It was like Link was talking to him as well.

"But yeah... you look really nice."

"Thanks. You look nice, too..."

The Hyrulean jumped to his feet, swathing about his love's neck, softly crushing lips with him. Peach tittered behind her hand, her inner fan girl getting its daily fix of Ike and Link-ness.

Pit was_ disgusted_.

"Whoa... _What's that?_ Are you wearing lipstick?"

"It's lip _gloss_: _'Melon Mystique'_. It's Marth's; he said it would look really good on me. _Do you like it?_"

"_It's a nice surprise..._ S'not what I'm used to, though, _but your lips are extra yummy..._"

Link dived in for another kiss, but was interrupted with a question from their other royal friend.

"Is there a reason why you two are all dressed up? Is there a special occasion?!"

Ike fell. Could Peach honestly be that slow?!

He had told her many times!

Link looked at his twitching boyfriend on the floor; he decided that he would answer this question for him.

"_Um_… Ike and I are going out to eat dinner together."

"Oh, really?! Where?!"

The indigo-haired man popped up, straightening his hair.

"'_L'indigo café_… That French joint a couple blocks down from here..."

"_Woooow!_ How romantic! I wish Mario would take me to a nice restaurant, the cheapskate! Isn't that _romantic_, Pit?!"

Pit's vision flickered from the mushroom princess, then to the couple, and into Ike's eyes.

"Yeah... _Very romantic_," he unenthusiastically replied, clenching his fists.

_Link, one day—very soon—I hope that you will open your eyes..._

xXx

"_Bonsoir, monsieurs_. Welcome to _L'indigo café_. Your name?"

(Good evening, Mister's; The Indigo Café.)

"Ike."

The Frenchman checked over his book, scanning the many names for an "Ike".

"_Ah!_ Ike, yes? Party of two? Eight forty-five?"

"_Oui_."

(Yes.)

"Please, wait here and one of our waitresses will come and assist you!"

"_Merci, monsieur_."

(Thank you, Mister.)

He showed the pair of swordsmen to a nearby couch fit for two, and that's where they took their seats.

Link stared at Ike, dazzled.

"You speak _French?_"

"_Yeah, baby._ Hello? _Traveler here!_"

"Oh..." the blonde man looked down at the gentle hands in his lap, sporting a very noticeable pout, "_I didn't know_... You're never spoken to me in French before. It sounds so... _pretty_."

"_Je suis désolé, mon amour_..." Ike muttered huskily, sneaking a kiss to his cheek.

(I'm sorry, my love...)

"…_What?_" Link was caught by surprise with the kiss and his beautiful, fluent French. He stole another smooch, serpentine arms pulling him closer to his body. Some of the seated customers looked their way, questioning why two men were in the most romantic restaurant in the area late at night. Link singled out one woman who tapped her husband on the arm. She whispered something to him, sharply cutting her eyes at the pair. He looked over in their direction, his lips boring a decisive, disapproving frown.

Maybe eating out wasn't the smartest choice…

Link gently pressed his hands against Ike's chest, pushing him away.

"Ike... _Stop._ _People are staring at us_."

Saying that only encouraged him even more.

"_Let them stare_…"

Ike sweetly pressed his cold, wet lips against the soft-looking skin that the turtleneck did not hide away him from.

"—_Excusez-moi?_"

(—Excuse me? Formal.)

The two men looked up.

A short, sweet, young female waitress with frizzy, red hair coughed softly and politely to grasp their undivided attention. She was symbolically red in her round face.

_She must've saw us._

"Oh. Sorry..." apologized Ike, standing.

"_Oh no!_ _Not at all!_ _Um_—my name is Michelle and I will be your waitress for tonight, tending to your every need! Please, right this way!"

"—_Mademoiselle?_" the indigo haired man tapped her on the shoulder. She about-faced; his lips hovering just above her right ear.

(Miss)

"May we sit somewhere... _quiet and secluded?_"

She blushed, glancing from the taller man before her, then to the inquiring one behind him who wanted to know what was being said.

"S-Sure!"

The trio headed towards the rear of the restaurant, the young woman leading them through a thin curtain separating the main half of the building. It was dim; Link was careful not to trip over anything. The only lights in the room were ones emitted from small candles and very few suspending from the ceiling. The atmosphere suddenly changed from open and exposed to private and conniving. There were fewer people, tables were smaller, and Link felt much more at ease. A single, white rose stood proud and erect in a skinny, clear vase on each and every one of the tables, a vanilla-scented candle flickering gold. Michelle seated them at a far, isolated table on the right corner by a stained glass window.

"Thank you so much, darling," Ike thanked as he granted her a charming smile.

"Y-You're welcome, _monsieur!_ Is there anything you'd like to drink? Or would you prefer to look over the menu for a bit?"

"Just a little more time, please?"

"Alright! I will be back in a few!"

She scurried off, leaving the couple be.

Soft, undertone, classical music hummed in the background, setting the romantic mood. Link picked up his thick menu, expecting a couple of pictures of all the different foods they served. Instead, he found nothing but words. Majority of them in French. He could barely pronounce some of them; his tongue had gotten tired of trying as he spoke aloud, but to himself.

Unexpectedly, he felt a hand lovingly caress his knee from beneath the curtained table. He almost jumped. How silly that would've been!

Flushing, he peered up to his partner from over his list.

Ike was innocently reading the appetizers, nodding.

He returned to his menu, but pushed past the cloths, sweetly resting his own hand upon Ike's. He looked up again, noticing his mate's lips shrivel into a smile. Oh how he loved that smile...

Link had finally found something that he could read somewhat, and checked the price... almost passing out.

"Um… _Ike?_"

"Yes?"

"There's one thing that I've noticed about this menu… _The food_… It's… It's very _expensive_. Are you sure you can afford all this?"

Ike looked up, leaning forward.

"_Don't worry, _baby. I got it all covered. You can get whatever you want—as much as you'd like—and let me take care of the check. _My treat_."

Link was given a brief kiss, and darted a charming smile. He concealed his appealing blush and happy grin from behind his menu—it was becoming more of a fan than a book with entrées. A few minutes later, Michelle returned as promised.

"I take it that you are ready to order drinks?"

"I'd like a bottle of your finest red wine, if you please," said the indigo-haired man with a wooing smile.

_A bottle?! Surely he's not going to drink all of it!_

She jotted that down.

"_Okay…_ How about you, _monsi_—"

"—And as for him… _Do you have anything that's non-alcoholic?_ I see that all of your drinks contain liquor in them; liquor and my date here do not mix well."

Link—who was just about to order a basic glass of water—pressed his lips together in a hard, bold line, staring at Ike in disbelief.

"Um, _yes!_ We have many non-alcoholic drinks, but they are not listed because of the public demand of our popular wine and beers. We have an award-winning raspberry lemonade, a spec—"

"—_Actually_ Miss, I'd just like a _glass of_ _water_, _thank you_," intruded the pique, petite man, his electric blue eyes zapping his lover with invisible yet sensible lightning bolts, throwing his menu down with just a _spritz _of anger.

"_Alright_. So I have a bottle of red wine and a glass of water. I shall go and fetch them for you and when I come back I will be ready to take orders, _yes?_"

"That sounds good," agreed Link.

She left the table with a skip in her step; Ike was in for it now.

His blonde crossed his legs—scraping Ike's gentle hands away from his shins—a blank, hurt expression adorning his blessed features.

"_Why_ do you do that?"

"...Do... _What?_"

He rolled his eyes, looking to the chandelier.

"Why do you _always_ belittle me?"

"_Belittle you? _I don't belittle you, baby..."

Ike reclaimed those beautiful knees with his paws, but crept them up further to his thighs and caressed them gingerly and apologetically. The green man wasn't buying it. He simply avoided his sapphires, peering out the window that provided a stunning view. Buttering up to him wasn't going to be easy this time around.

"_Yes you do_," Link uttered under his breath, "_you do it all the time.._."

"_Did I make Link mad?_"

"_No..._ Well, _yes._ _Yes you did._ And you _clearly_ embarrassed me."

"How so...?"

"_'How so'?!_ _Just then! With the waitress!_ You made me feel as if I was a little baby! You're _always_ giving me that treatment! I'm nineteen-years-old and pushing twenty! I'm not some infant! _I'm a_ _grown man_ _and... and I feel that I should be treated like one if that's not too much to ask for!_"

A momentous pause made the background music sound louder than it was, until the bigheaded swordsman rung out in stifled chuckles. That just made more smoke blow out of Link's pointy, pierced ears. Again, he peeled Ike's hands off his body, infuriated and confused.

He _did_ _not_ see any humor in this.

"_Why are you laughing?!_ _Did I say something amusing to you?!_"

Lord knows Ike tried to answer back, but Link was just too damn cute.

His patience was running on empty.

"..._You're unbelievable!_"

"_I'm sorry_, Link... _I'm really, really sorry...!_ But... but that's where you're wrong. Actually, my sweet, you _are_ a baby."

Link was about to blow up in his face disregarding the quiet, tranquil atmosphere they were located in. But with great timing and loose lips, Ike capped his mouth over his lover's, successfully causing his eyelids to fluctuate and his anger to melt away, ceasing the foreseen nagging.

He loved pushing Link to his limits, and he was definitely easier to rile down than Marth. He made that connection right away.

"...You're _my_ baby. And I only want what's best for you like any other good parent would want for their child. And tell me Link, what nineteen-year-old man fusses about his clothes getting shrunken? _Huh?_ What nineteen-year-old man pouts and has little temper tantrums whenever he gets poked fun at or doesn't get his way? _See?_ You're still a baby yourself. it doesn't matter how old you are. "

Link liked the saccharine kiss Ike gave him, but he did not necessarily like being told that he was still a child—although very much of it was true. With his arms still folded and pout accumulating at his mouth, Link looked anywhere but at his boyfriend. It was hard to tell what he was thinking because of this; Ike needed to look at in eyes to cipher his feelings.

"—_Here you go_: A bottle of one of our finest wines, and a water for you, _monsieur!_"

Michelle appeared out of nowhere.

She set down Ike's wine glass and humongous and Link's fancy cup, then flipped open her notepad.

"Are you both ready to order anything? Or do you need some more time?"

Ike tested his drink—tasting sweet, sweet grapes.

"_Yes_. Uh... I'd like the _'Le triple spéciale'_, please?"

(The Triple Special.)

"...Your sides?"

"_Hmm..._ Mashed potatoes, and... Asparagus, I guess."

She recorded all of this, and then angled towards Link.

"Okay... How about you, _monsieur?_"

"_Um_..."

Link nervously flipped through the picture-less menu. He knew what he wanted; the only problem being was how could he say it? He looked up at Ike—eyes pleading for assistance—pink blinking in his cheeks like tail lights. Ike grinned, knowledgeable of his love's zero French tongue. He leaned halfway across the table, one arm resting upon it while the other swirled his wine glass in small circles.

_This oughta be good..._

"...Um. I'd like to get the... the um... _'Lee Tour Dee Fran... Fran-kay-is'_?"

Ike and Michelle shared a good laugh, Link sinking lower in his seat.

"_Il est mignon, oui?_" Ike foreignly asked.

(He's cute, right?)

"_Oui!_ _Très mignon!_ Ehem... and a _'Le Tour de Français'_ for you_,_" she pronounced accurately, "We are sort of busy tonight up front as you probably have seen earlier... So on behalf of the entire staff I apologize if your meals arrive a bit late!"

(Yes! Very cute!; The Tour of the French Language)

"Please, _take your time_. We're in no rush..." Ike said with another, manipulative smile. Michelle then disappeared through the flimsy curtains.

He giggled some more.

"_'Lee Tour Dee Fran-kay-is'_?"

"_Yeah, yeah_, I said it wrong. _You could've helped me, you know!_ That would have saved me the humiliation!"

"_Oh_... But I thought you wanted me to treat you like a '_big boy_'? I thought you could do things by yourself?"

The more mawkish of the two blushed.

"I don't know any French; I couldn't read that! And you _knew it!_"

He snapped into his folded arms, crossed legs, pouted lips position.

"_You're so inconsiderate!_ Not _only_ did you allow me to make a fool out of myself, but you and Michelle laughed at me, and talked about me in a language that I cannot understand...!"

"_Cupcake..._" Ike took one of his little lover's arms, holding one of his soft hands. He gave it a light squeeze, "You're right, I should've helped you out... I know how much you hate _'making a fool of yourself'_, and it was wrong of me to let that happen. But you're just so fun to mess with... And you know how much Ikey likes to mess with his sweetie, _right?_"

Link didn't smile nor did he respond to the question.

"When you both talked in French, what did you say? Did you talk about me?"

_God, is he a sensitive one._

"I asked Michelle if she thought you were cute after you had just _brutally_ mutilated the French language, _honest!_"

"...And what did she say?"

"She agreed with me! _Really!_ Baby, _please_ don't get so worked up over this... It was sort of a joke, no need to take it so seriously. I just want to have a nice, quiet, evening dinner with you... When we get back to the mansion you can fuss and yell at me all you'd like, and I'll take it. But for now, can we enjoy ourselves tonight without these little arguments... _Please?_"

The blonde fixed his baby blues onto their linked hands with a telltale blush spreading from his nose. He frowned at them, lowering his head.

"_I'm sorry_."

"...huh?"

"I'm sorry, Ike. I'm sorry that I've been acting like a... a _whiny_, _schmaltzy_ _bitch_. I... I need to loosen up and stop being so serious... _Just like you said._"

"_No!_ No, don't say that! You're not a 'whiny, schmaltzy bitch'! _Hell_, I don't even know what 'schmaltzy' means! You have nothing to apologize for… I'm the one who has upset you like this. Partially, it's my fault. So _I'm_ sorry. And you can't help it... that's just your nature... that's just who you are. _And I love you_."

He bent over, taking both of Link small hands. Their lips delightfully collided in a sugary kiss; Link's lips were always so soft, and because of that, he was jealous.

"Now, enough of this crazy talk! Let's do something a little more... _uplifting_."

"...Could you teach me a little French?"

He could see a little smile begin to surface on Link's lovely lips.

"That's a great idea! Sure, I'll teach ya some!"

"I hope you have lots of patience..."

"All the patience in the world, dear..."

Ike and Link spent the rest of their waiting time together reviewing French adjectives, the French alphabet, French numbers, and now the French verbs. Link was a brilliant, quick learner, and Ike was amazed at how fast he learned and how much they had accomplished in a short amount of time.

"Okay, now that you've familiarized yourself with the pronunciation of the letters, it's time to learn your first verb."

Link—determined—leaned forward.

"Alright, I am ready!"

"The first verb is... _être_."

"..._etra_?"

"No, roll your tongue when you say the "r"... _être_."

"..._êtr_—_être?_"

"_There you go!_ It means 'to be' in its infinitive form. But once you conjugate it with other nouns and pronouns the entire verb—and how it's pronounced—changes completely."

Saying that, the strong will and determination was quickly swiped off Link's face.

"_Aww man_, and I have to remember all that...? _It's too much..._"

"No it's not, babe! It's actually quite easy!"

"—_Sorry!_ Sorry for the terrible wait!"

Michelle stumbled in through the curtains with a tray that was almost as big as herself, carrying their hot meals. Ike—being a gentleman—helped her, taking the tray as she set up a stand to rest it on.

"_Thank you...!_" she sighed gratefully with relief.

"_De rien_..."

(You're Welcome in a sort of "_Don't mention it..._" tone)

He placed the tray on the stand, and took his seat as she served them.

"Everything is very, very hot!" warned Michelle.

"...It looks delicious!" Link complimented. Not only did his meals look mouth-watering good, but the way it was presented... it was way too beautiful to eat!

He was pretty hungry, though.

The blonde was surrounded by twenty-six individual plates with little, thoughtfully crafted servings of food each representing a letter of the French alphabet. "_Ratatouille_" for "R", "_Crepes_" for "C", and "_Zewelwai_" for "Z".

"If you need anything, do not hesitate to call me! _Bon Appétit!_"

And that's exactly what they did.

The couple happily devoured their food, definitely getting their money's worth—or in this case—_Ike's_ money's worth. They had light discussion as they ate, occasionally giving the other light kisses to the cheek. Michelle checked in on them, Ike pouring refill after refill of red wine. Link warned him not to drink so much, he was the designated driver, but his arrogant lover told him not to worry. He was working on his fifth cup, and he didn't seem the slightest bit drunk—talk about a man who could hold his liquor.

When they were finished, the faithful waitress stopped by the tables to retrieve their plates.

"Was everything okay?"

Link slouched in his seat, patting his full tummy.

"_It was magnificent_..."

She found this humorous, personally taking a liking into the little blonde one.

"I hope you have enough room for dessert!"

She handed Link a brochure which turned out to be their desserts, which was right up his ally.

"We have some yummy treats in there that I'm sure you'd both enjoy! We use only the finest ingredients when we prepare our sweets! I'm going to put up these plates and I'll be back to take your orders!"

Link thumbed through the thin book, the colorful pictures benefiting him, drooling over all the thoughtfully crafted treats. It didn't take him long to point out one's that he would like to try; he counted three so far.

"Did you find the chocolate cake?"

"_They have chocolate cake?! Where?!_"

"'Should be on page five."

He furiously flipped to the fifth page, eyes nearly popping out of his head.

It wasn't a really big cake: about five-and-a-half inches in diameter and maybe three inches tall. Nevertheless, it was a beautifully-decorated, iced cake, a single, juicy strawberry settling on the very top.

"You want it, don't you?"

"Y—"

Link's cerulean eyes wandered across the price, and was easily persuaded.

"_That_ much for _this_ little cake?!"

"Would you like it?"

"Well... yes, but it's... _It's too much..._"

"_Pssht._ Nothing is ever 'too much' when it comes to my Linky. Remember when I said you could have anything you want, as much as you want? I meant it."

Michelle rejoined them, her notepad pocketed at her hip. She clasped her hands together, a serving smile on her small, glossy, strawberry-pink lips.

"See anything you like, _monsieurs?_"

"Ahh, yes. My partner here has taken interest in the _'Le Base de Chocolat Fondu'_."

"_Oh!_ I knew you would pick that one! It shall be ready in a wee minute!"

And she kept her word. Link's dessert was delivered to him just minutes after it was ordered. Unlike fast food, it looked exactly like the gourmet cake in the picture. Ike dug his silver knife into the little cake, cutting a huge slice for his love first.

What happened next blew Link out of the water.

A flood of rich, Dutch chocolate effortlessly oozed out of the center of the cake!

"_Wah!_ I didn't know it had a core like _that!_ How did they do that?! _I must know!_"

That made the taller of the two smile. He cut a neat piece from his chunk of heavenly goodness to his fruity lips.

"_'Le Base de Chocolat Fondu'_ translated basically means 'the core of molten chocolate'. I've had it before, and it's freaking amazing. _Try it_."

When it came to chocolate, you didn't have to tell Link twice. He carefully wrapped his lips around the metal utensil, his tongue stealing the chocolate-y piece. He chewed slowly, excerpting what he could from it.

He gasped.

"Yes?"

Link had a twinkle in his eye.

"It's so moist... and it's warm and sweet! And the chocolate... _it's so creamy._ It melts on my tongue!"

"Knew you'd like it."

Oh, Link didn't like it.

He _loved_ it.

By the time Ike was finished with his first slice, Link had already eaten the _entire cake._

He watched in curiosity and astonishment as his blonde haired lover gracefully scarf slice after slice of the dessert with one glass of milk to wash it all down, wondering where it all went. His fork entered and exited his mouth, Link enjoying the heavenly taste of the chocolate delicacy, licking away the dripping chocolate on his fingers, plate, etc.; it was strangely arousing.

Ike did some elementary math, another finger disappearing into Link's mouth.

_Link loves chocolate._

_Link loves Ike._

_Link plus chocolate plus Ike equals..._

A new item had been added to the ever-growing grocery list:

Chocolate Syrup.

And _lots_ of it.

"You've just made love to that fork."

The skilled archer chuckled in his throat, taking his index finger into his mouth, moaning in pure satisfaction.

"...I believe I did. _Jealous?_"

"_Very_."

Ike swirled his wine around and around in his cup, his signature smile growing wider and wider. The question… Each night—before they made love—Ike would remind himself to ask Link this very question when they were through… but he'd always forget. And Link would shut down minutes afterwards. He wasn't going to forget this time; he might as well ask it now, while it was still fresh on his mind.

"Why do you love me?"

Link reddened, rivaling the strawberry he was stabbing.

"_Why do I… love you...?_"

"_Mmhmm_. Tell me. I'm curious. What about me do you love?"

He blushed, nervously playing with the edges of his fancy napkin, which was covered in chocolate icing.

"I love a lot of things about you..."

"_List _some."

_Ugh... he's going to get an answer either way..._

"Um... _Well_... You... You're arrogant, cocky, egoistical, playful... and some of the time you can be a real jackass. But... that's what makes you—_Ike_. And that's kind of why—and all this'll sound really dumb but—that's kind of why I fell in love with you...

You're funny and strong and smart... I love your messy, dismayed hair, your bright eyes, your kindness and thoughtfulness... and you are very, very... _handsome_. _Um_—you make me smile when I'm upset, laugh when I don't really feel like laughing... and you _fully_ understand me. You're patient with me, and when I'm with you I feel... _I feel..._ complete.

You'reeverything that I'm not, which fills this empty void in my heart, so it doesn't seem like I'm missing out on life... You're a very sensual, passionate person. I—I love the way you look at me when we wake up together... How your eyes seem to sparkle whenever you see me... the way you hold me close to you at night and sing me to sleep... the feel of your lips—and... your tongue—moving against mine when we kiss... Your comfortable arms wrapped around me, like you're scared to let me go... Your gentle touch sets me on fire...

You give me so many warm feelings, and, um, I can't get enough of you. _That's_ why I love you, Ike."

The shy, little man kept his eyes away from his mate's, sporting a comprehensive, red blush. Ike was smiling; some of those reasons surprised him.

"So, my 'messy, dismayed hair' turns you on? Never knew that..."

Link's thumbs were having a fierce wrestling match; his lips were flapping, but Ike could not hear one peep.

"……_about me?_"

"_Hmm?_"

"Um... What do _you_ love... _about me?_"

"What do I love about you? _Where do I begin?!_"

Link gulped; the right thumb had won round two.

"...You are my lover, my best friend, and I hold you very dear to my heart...

Link, you're a rare gem, an interesting person that I am so thankful to have found. I am stunned by your endless sympathy for others, your blossoming sweetness towards everyone, and that lingering virgin that I just can't seem to ravish out of you! _Do you know how frustrating that is for me?_ _Anyway_—in all—you're a _beautiful_ person, on the inside and out.

Your pretty eyes tell me every little thing that I need to know. They're always swimming with some kind of emotion that's so fun to decipher. Speaking of emotion, you're so easy to excite. We could be having dinner back at the mansion, and I could say something like,_ 'You put a lot of seasoning in this chicken'_. _You'd twist your panties into a knot._ But sometimes, I do that on purpose, just to see how you'd react. I know, 'not cool', but you're... _so cute!_ And I _also_ know you hate being called that, but it's true.

You have a heart made of solid gold and I admire how you put others before yourself without a second thought. You'd even give the shirt off your own back to a person who really needed it, I believe, and your hidden, questionable personality is very attractive to me, also. And so is that body...

Those fascinating pink lips, seductive legs, that nice _ass_."

Link's eyes grew at that last part.

"You know how much I love you, so I'm not going to make this all mushy... Um—_Oh yeah!_—I got a little something for you—close your eyes."

Link obeyed, his heart hammering into his rib cage.

_He has something... for me?!_

Ike reached into his pocket, and pulled out a small, black box, "Hold out your left hand."

He did that, too.

Ike opened the box, taking out a gleaming gold ring with a genuine emerald fresh from the mines and in the distinct shape of a heart centered at the top, bordered with small, white diamonds. It was a specially-requested ring, so it cost a lot more and took a little longer to produce and arrive at the jeweler. It couldn't have come at a better time, though. The situation with he and Marth was getting out of hand, and no matter how perfect things were now, he feared that Link was going to find out about them sooner or later...

Either it be from him,

Marth,

And now Pit, who he suspects has a little crush on his lover.

But before that happened, a promise had to be proposed.

"You're making me nervous, Ike."

"Alright, alright..."

Ike grasped Link's hand, and steadily slipped the ring onto his ring finger.

Link sharply gasped—eyes still remaining shut. It was a ring... that much he _did_ know.

"_I... Ike?_"

"Open your eyes."

Link immediately looked to his finger, then to his love, and back again. He placed a hand over his heart, utterly speechless.

"Ike... _Wow._ It's... it's so beautiful...!"

"Yep, just as I thought... I chose an emerald, since that's the only _green_ gem that I know of..."

Link "oooh"ed and "ahhh"ed some more, inspecting his ring. "_I Love You_" was engraved on the bottom of the golden band in script letters.

"_'I Love You'_..." he read, exhibiting a lovely smile, "_Aww_... Ike, _I love you_, too..."

Ike grinned, kissing his forehead, wishing he could bottle up that smile and save it for later.

"Is it okay? S'not too tight? Too loose?"

"No... _It's perfect_. But I… _I can't accept this_..." Link started to take it off, but Ike interfered, hastily stopping him and almost knocking his wine over as he did.

"_NO!_"

The green-loving man was confused.

"Um..._ I mean_... you _have_ to accept it. It's a gift from me to you. I practically spent all of my savings..."

"Which is why I cannot accept it! You've spent enough money on me already—"

"—but it has a _special_ meaning!"

That caught his attention.

"S... Special meaning?"

"_Mmhm_... Very special, and _important._ You see, baby, this ring," he held up Link's hand, "is a declaration of my undying love for you that will last on forever and ever... and a day. It is a promise—guarantee—that I will _never_ stop loving you, no matter what comes our way. _So_, let's say something happens... causing us to split up."

Link's orbs grew two sizes. To talk about breaking up so casually... It was hard to ignore, but Ike kept going. He needed to get this across first, then he'd ask questions.

"...You may get the feeling that I never did truly love you. But hopefully you will take the time to look at this ring and remember these very words that I am about to say... 'Link, I love you and I have always, always loved you. I'm terribly sorry that this had to happen to us, and I take the blame for everything. I can only pray that you would one day forgive me... I love you, I will still love you, and I have always loved you'."

Ike paused here; Link's eyes were unreadable, illiterate, holding no emotion whatsoever.

"...You got all that?"

"Um... _Yeah_... I got it."

He was ecstatic with his new ring a minute ago, but that mood was quickly replaced by another that puzzled the taller man. Ike kissed him passionately, but Link's lips weren't as responsive.

"...What's wrong, Hun?"

Link softly shrugged.

"_I... I don't know_. I guess you could say I am a little... _worried_..."

"Can you tell me why? Was it something I said?"

He nodded at that.

"Then tell me... _tell me why_."

"_No_... It's… it's stupid."

"Well, if something 'stupid' has you looking like your puppy had gotten run over by an eighteen-wheeler, then I want to know what it is."

Link peered out the window once more.

"All this talk about splitting up... it's... it's a scary thought. For a second there you had me thinking that you were... _um_... that you were going to... _err_..." he swallowed, softly choking out, "_break up with me_."

Living without Ike? He couldn't see himself making it...

_I knew he would feel this way... Link, I'm so sorry_.

Ike sighed, resting his head in his hands. How could he explain this without hurting him?

"_No_," he finally spoke after a few minutes of uncomfortable silence. Ike brushed his fingers across the baby-soft skin of the blonde's face, gently redirecting his head to meet his eyes.

But the twin irises did not.

"Baby, _look at me_..." Ike commanded in the softest tone he could muster.

The petite man looked at his hand, then to Ike's collar, and finally into the oceanic abysses.

"_We're not separating... and I'm not hinting around about it_. It's just a _precaution._ Like if something _does_ happen. I'm not saying that it necessarily _will..._ You see?"

Link bit his lip, hesitantly nodding.

"On the bright side, _you have a very pretty ring to show off!_ Don't worry about it too much… I want to be with you for as long as I can... _Okay?_"

"...'kay," he agreed, with a hint of a smile...

"Good_._ _Now gimme kiss..._"

Link arose from his seat just a little to press his fruitfully-glazed lips against his boyfriends, letting them linger there more than Ike was immune to. But he didn't mind. A group of female waitresses that walked by squealed in sheer pleasure, rapidly yapping away in French. Link—alarmed—tore his lips away and horrifically stared at them.

"Wh... What are they saying?" he questioned his lover—now his French translator.

"_Hmmm_... They think I'm sexy, and that we make a cute couple..."

"_Ahh_... Fan girls are everywhere."

Ike eavesdropped on the conversation some more until one of the females—pressured by all of her friends—brought him in it.

"Um... my friend Michelle told me that you speak very good French. So... um... We all have a question for you. _Est-ce que tu es dessure?_"

(Are you "top"?)

Ike grinned sheepishly. He had taught Link some french, but not enough to actually form a sentence. Plus he was talking so fast, slurring his words together, so Link had to dissect every little word piece by piece.

"Ahhh... _Oui. Je suis dessure et il est dessous._"

(Yes. I'm top and he's bottom.)

She nodded—her blush getting deeper—then turned to her clique.

"_Il est dessure et le mignon un est dessous!_"

(He's top and the cute one's bottom!)

They all celebrated again.

"_Merci!_"

The skinny waitress rejoined her friends...

"What did you tell her?! I want to know!"

"_Nothin'._"

"Please tell me!!"

But Ike never did answer his questionnaire.

They shortly left, Ike paying his check, leaving Michelle a generous tip as they both exited the restaurant.

xXx

The drive back to the mansion was painfully silent; the crescentic hum of the engine filled their ears as Ike glided the rented car down the empty road.

Link hadn't said a word to him since they left, which disgruntled him. He was sitting there, his right thigh placed over the other, his eyes staring into the distance, fingers absent-mindedly groping his ring. Whenever Link was silent like this, he was either in deep thought, shutting himself away from the world, or _really_ pissed off.

Ike had to keep his eyes on the road, so he couldn't analyze his expressive face as thoroughly as he yearned. There weren't many people out with it being late at night...

_He's not upset with me because I wouldn't tell him what I told the waitress... at least I don't think... Is he still worried about the whole ring thing?_

Ike glanced over to his love.

"You're not mad at me, are you?"

"No." An affirmative, straight to the point answer.

"Oh, great... it's just... you're all... _quiet_."

"I'm thinking."

"'Bout what?"

"Stuff."

"...What kind of stuff?"

"Just..._ stuff_."

"Oh..."

Ike yielded at the red light.

"_You..._ want to talk about it?"

"No thank you."

"_Alright_..."

Ike took his left hand, and smiled at him. Link flashed him a half smile, and then sank back into his thoughts.

xXx

"_I thought you were going to... to ask me to marry you..._" mentioned a drowsy Link who was blanketing Ike's body with his own. Ike laughed to himself, planting a kiss into his golden locks. It was funny how he seemed to blurt out the truth when he was sleepy. He used this to his advantage.

"_Really?_ Are you disappointed?"

Link's face got really hot, the heat seeping through his thin shirt and burning his chest. He couldn't see his face, but he already knew those cheeks were as read as his shirt. The smaller man softly yanking at his clothes like a little child.

"_No..._ Just... _surprised_."

"I_ would_ marry you."

The blonde looked up, his cobalt eyes glistening like gold.

"You _would?_"

"_'Course I would_, but..."

Pit's haunting, depressing words echoed...

_"How could you do this behind his back?!" _

_"Why would you mess around with Marth...?!"_

_"You don't deserve him…"_

_"Neither of you deserve Link!"_

"...I don't deserve you."

Link rubbed his lips together. He lay back down, continuing to listen to his partner's heart, shutting his eyes.

"Why do you always say that? That you don't deserve me...? _You've been saying it a lot_…"

"Because I'm—" Ike cut-off here, thinking about Marth and their eight-month rendezvous, "—_I'm no good_. I don't deserve anything like this..."

Link held his face in his hands; Ike did not look at him.

_Not those honest eyes… Please… anything but those._

"But everyone deserves to be loved... _You_ deserve to be loved. _And you are_. I love you, _Marth loves you_, your fans love you..."

_"...Marth loves you..."_

Ike's dark, depressing orbs flickered into the cerulean ones, making Link shiver a little. They harnessed the deadly strength of a glare; the leaner man sealed his lips shut, instantly looking away, a little shaken up by his lover's sudden mood change.

"_Don't talk like that_," he threatened, eyes swimming with black, "_Stop_."

_Ike..._

"Okay."

_Who is this person...? This isn't my lover… this isn't the Ike that I know._

Link backed off of him, fumbling with his piggy toes, _very _nervous.

Ike saw this, feeling incredibly _stupid_.

_Damn, my anger got the best of me there... Why did I say that to Link? Now look at him... _

_I'm hurting him. Just because I'm feeling shitty doesn't mean I have to drag Link down with me. And I've been hurting him all night... I can't stand this. _

_I'm sorry, Link. _

_...but I need to see Marth. _

_I want to see him._

"Link... I'm going to sleep in my dorm tonight," lied Ike, getting off the bed, but the blonde one reached out, grabbed his shirt, and lassoed him into a tight embrace.

"...Did I say something to make you mad? _I… I am sorry_. _I did not mean to..._" he mumbled, the traveler feeling ever the more horrible.

_I really wanted him to stay with me... to talk more. He's been acting weird all night._

"No! I... I'm just a little out of it... I need to think... You didn't do anything, _alright?_"

Link nodded his head, hair falling into his face.

"_How you're acting_... Does it have something to do with that one problem you can't tell me about...?"

Ike sat back down on the bed, next to his lover.

"_Yeah_... it's got a little something to do with it."

"Oh... _Then_..."

Link angelically kissed his troubled mate's cheek, showering him with love and care.

"Since you cannot tell me what is going on with you, I can only give you hugs and kisses to make you feel better... like you wanted, right?"

_He... He remembered..._

Ike coiled his own arms around the small man, nearly crushing his lovely, warm body into _bits_.

"_I love you, Link. I love you so very much, you just don't know._"

Link drew in his crisp scent, confiding in it…

_It hurts that I cannot be of much use to him…_

"_I hope that you have a peaceful rest_."

xXx

"_GODDAMNIT!_ _YOU STUPID, SLOW ASS MESSENGER!_ Now Romeo will _never_ know that Juliet's alive! _ARGH!_"

_Knock Knock Knock Knock._

Marth tore off his skinny, rectangular glasses, staring at his door in annoyance.

Who was interrupting his reading time? And at this hour?! Everyone should've been in bed, including him, but the suspenseful, timeless tale of Romeo and Juliet was keeping him wide awake and biting his manicured nails, wondering what was going to happen next.

_Now who is this?_

Marth opened his door.

"What is it—_Ike?!_"

He blushed significantly, subconsciously brushing his bangs.

"_Um_—what are you doing here?"

Ike grinned, avoiding the question.

"You're still awake?"

"Well, _yeah!_ I was reading a very good book!"

He allowed the indigo-haired man in, closing his door behind him. Ike grabbed the thick novel set upon his bed, taking his usual spot against the bed post.

"_Romeo and Juliet__?_ You're into this twisted, romance crap?"

Marth crossed his arms, offended.

"_Shut up!_ It's very, very sweet! _And it is not crap!_"

Ike laughed, wagging his finger; Marth knew what that meant.

_Cuddle time!_

The prince skipped over to his bed, hopping into the taller man's lap with a big, happy smile on his face. Marth was surprised at how warm he was, and nuzzled even deeper into his body. Ike kissed his head, flipping through the book and skimming over a couple of passages.

"And this isn't the simplified version for dummies, either. You actually understand all this?"

Marth looked up.

"Shakespearean English? _Of course I do!_"

Marth faced him, his entire expression changing into what he called "theatrical mode". He took Ike's hands into his, placing them over his heart.

"_'O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name; Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, and I'll no longer be a Capulet...'_ That's from the balcony scene, _my absolute favorite!_ And it's not too hard to understand! You just have to have a romantic mindset..."

Ike sat in silence for a couple moments, gawking at Marth with a discombobulated look.

"_What…?_"

"I have no idea what you just said..." he softly kissed his second favorite pair of lips, "but it sounded _beautiful_ on your tongue."

Marth wasn't stupid.

…_Wait a second_.

As happy as he was with Ike being in his dorm and all, there was something about it that seemed abnormal.

He wasn't afraid to ask questions.

"_Why are you here?_"

"…Whatever do you mean?"

"_Oh please_. You'd sleep with Link any chance you could! But you're not tonight, meaning something happened between you two, or—_Oh! The date!_ How did it go?!"

Ike slapped a hand over his forehead. He came here to find peace to escape his "problem", but he just ran right back into it again. It's funny how that works.

"Well, it went great… but I kind of fucked things up at the end."

"What happened?!"

…And Ike explained.

………

"_So…_ I came to you…"

"_Aww_… I'm flattered."

Ike was embraced by his prince's cuddlesome, lithe body.

"You should've seen his face, Marth… it would break your heart. How do you stay calm like this...?! And then there's Pit: He saw us—_kissing_—and even if he swore he wouldn't tell Link, what if he does? I can't imagine what'll happen, then…"

"_Baby_…"

Marth sat up, implanting innumerable butterfly kisses onto Ike's sad, coral petals, "You want to know how I remain calm? Because I stay in the present—_I live for now_. I don't stress about the future—_it'll work itself out_—and you shouldn't either."

"_But I've already tried_… and I can't get this off my mind…"

The beautiful, sky-blue hues churned languidly into frightening navy. The prince stroked his hot cheeks with his thumbs…

_Ike… I must do something!_

"I don't know what to do, Mart—"

Elegantly—and with great grace—the royal one widened the narrow crease in Ike's lips with the point of his tongue, dipping his sweet tissue into the warm haven.

He tasted liquor, the kiss even _more_ intoxicating. Maybe that was why he was acting so emotional.

Ike moaned—flabbergasted—but joined the sympathetic muscle in dance.

_Let me take him off your mind… if only for a while._

xXx

Link held Moby in his arms—the teddy bear Ike got him some time ago—burying his face in his soft fur. It was a little lonely sleeping by himself. He loved his stuffed animal… but he'd rather have Ike enveloping him other than the pink, furry arms.

"Do you know what's wrong with Ike, Moby?"

He made Moby shake his head "_no_".

"…Neither do I."

Link thought a little bit more as he lay in the darkness, looking to his ceiling, which was an olive green color with the absence of light. He looked over at his digital alarm clock.

"_12:54 A.M._"

Thank goodness for Saturday, the only "rest day" the Smashers were given.

"You don't think he's mad at me, do you? I mean, he said he wasn't but… _his eyes_. They were so scary… He's never looked at me like that before... or spoken to me in such a questionable tone."

Moby tapped his chin with a paw, and then shook his head "_no_" again.

"Really?"

"_Yes._"

_Look at me… I'm talking to a toy bear_... _I need to get some rest… _

But for the first time, he couldn't.

_"If Ike said he's not mad… then he isn't. He wouldn't lie to me… but I'm tired of feeling useless...! Weak...! Not needed...! I want to help Ike feel better... And I will! Because that's what good lovers do."_

Moby thrust a fuzzy paw into the air in agreement—it would've been a fist if he actually had fingers.

Link smiled, hugging onto his nonliving friend, inspired.

And he treacherously held onto that goal for the rest of the night.

* * *

Finished. Kinda liked this chapter. But that doesn't matter, does it?

I have French class C:

I had the most fangirl-ish moment when Link was sumo wrestling with that one guy named Bo on the game. It was so precious… I was squealing.

**NyoChan: **Ahhhh… I guess I have acceptable writing. I try to expand my vocabulary; I have about three to four thesauruses and dictionaries lying around my room. Did you enjoy this chapter? C: And you forgot to vote in Part One…

**Bitbyboth: **Choice B? I sorta see Pit as a seme. Maybe if he was Dark Pit Cx Ha Haa, Dark Pit and uke Link xDDD Maybe _that _should've been a choice.

**Sachiko V: **Yesh… the conversation with Pit and Link kinda foreshadowed some things… 83 Who knows what Marth's done when he was young… Hee hee. Link will officially find out in Chapter Eleven. I will cry when I write the scene. I can already see me bawling my eyes out… xD You have Choice A, right? Just makin' sure! I need to find more fanarts, too… n w n

**Kufuffelupagus: **Another one for Choice B! Why can't people see Pit as semmmmeeeee………? D: Just 'cause he has wings doesn't mean he's totally innocent… And shall prove it if Choice A wins! Lucky you! I gots… -counts fingers- 9 somethin' more years to go!! Dx –jealousness-

**Miss Paisley: **There's nothing like coming home from school to a new chapter of your most favorite fanfic… I tell ya xD Marth is always impatient, I made him that way. You can't wait for Link's heart to get broken…? D: I CAN'T EITHER. I'M TIRED OF WRITING IKE AND MARTH DOING VERY BAD THINGS BEHIND HIS BACK. Makes me angry… Grr… Ah, thank you! I don't like to toot my own horn too much :3 My friends say I have excellent writing. Maybe that's cause they're my friends. Eh, anyway. Choice B for you? Got it!

**Ernoma: **(I am secretly favoring choice A, so HIGH-EFFING-FIVE)! Noes! If Choice B does win, I promise to make Pit a little seme-ish… :C -Hides under a rock- Sorry. That's why I split this up into two parts. But this was still prolly a killer on your eyes. Over 18,000 words. I write too much… xD MORBID PIT WAS FUN TO WRITE O W O

**Kurai: **All my first time reviewers get cookies x3 I'm just nice like that. Yeah, taking your time is most important! Although I rush lots of things xD Ike in schoolgirl uniform… _Mmmmmm_… - w -

Link: -glare-

Me: … -Backs off-

Eh heh heh… Lol, Ganon that homophobe. Choice B, is it? I've never read a fanfic where Pit was the seme either, but maybe that cycle will break Cx And yes, Link's heart fractures a bit in this chapter, but it's nothing a little sleep and optimism can't fix :3 Or can it…?

**Flock o' Seagulls: **I've never seen the show, either. I've seen the dance and fell in love with it. So I was like, "Hey, why not Link, Ike and Marth perform Hare Hare Yukai (Ike is Yuki Nagato since he's not really dancing at will, and Link is Mikuru Asahina)? Pit almost died from dehydration! xDDD Choice B… And yes. I like the way you think. Link should get a chance to top, and Pit is the perfect candidate! Ike will remain seme forever, I guess…

**royLeingod: **You're welcome! That's my favorite cookie, you know, rainbow m&m... They will be the death of me… BRILLIANT. I love the Hare Hare Yukai, Ike, Marth and Link dancing to it just makes it even better! ("Fish Lips" is my nickname that this one boy that I want to murder gave me :3) Ha Haa, I was going to make him dress up as Kyon, but I thought that Ike in a school girl uniform would be much funnier. Choice B? :3 Alrighty.

**Midnight Crystal Sage: **How the HELL do you get IkeXPit?! That doesn't even make sense to me! I can see Ike raping poor, little Pit… -cries- Yep, I'll prolly start out with a LinkXPit one shot (Seme Link/Uke Pit). That is, when I'm settled into this story.

MUST. HAVE. IKE. LINK. ONE. SHOT.

O m O

Pit didn't have time to laugh at Marth and Ike, he almost died from dehydration xD "Manwhoring Cockflute"?

-Images-

O.o I don't think you want to know what my mind came up with just now. YAY FOR CHOICE A!

**Yukina99: **Another choice A! x3 (Personally, I want "A" to win)… Ike and Marth got told and it sure as hell was cold! Link is a cute ukeeeee… I will have so much fun writing that if choice A wins!

**The Mad Joker: **Choice A! Wee! Yeah, I can see them switching, but Pit would prolly want to be more dominant, since Link's the broken one and all… "Dominant Uke"? Never heard of that before. But I can see Pit being a dominant uke (Is it possible for two uke's to have sex? O.o) Yep, Ike and Marth get caught in the eleventh chapter, fo sho. Pit finds out, yay! But will he tell? Hm… Uke's can go long without sex, or so I think, so restriction for Link might not have been as hard on him as if was for Ike.

**WinterVeil: **Aww, I'm glad you like my story 8D And NOOOO! NOTHING IS WEIRD ABOUT A SEME PIT AND UKE LINK. At least I don't see it is… But I think I've made Link too cute to be seme…

**Gathouria: **Yeah, where did LinkXRoy come from? O.o That's awkward, but I can see it happen… Yes, Pit should be seme and Link uke, since I've already made him too cute… :3 So you picked Choice A, I take it! Lol, I don't mean to make extra long chapters, it just happens. Writer's Block is a bitch! DDDx If you die from lack of sleep, I don't want to see authorities at my doorstep… Interesting view on how you think the story will go. If Ike doesn't leave (I'm not saying that he will), it'll be good for him to watch Link and Pit be all lovey-dovey around each other xD I'm a meanie :3 I don't have melee, but I wanna play with Roy once… He's so cute!! They better bring him back… Or I'll be in the courtroom right along with ya. LOL at the pictures! "I AM NOT UNDRESSING YOU WITH MY EYES" xD The young link one was cute, too. My life? The teachers are giving me pure hell, and I need to bring my grades up. So nothing special. Except getting Poe-kun to notice me… (I secretly took a picture of him on the bus. So cute –domodomodomo-

**Rayestar Ikina: **YUSH. Cause I've never heard of a LinkXRoy fanfic. Interesting…

- w – You're read Alas, Babylon before? I'm really starting to hate that book. Not because it isn't interesting, but because It's making my grade in English go down since I don't do the study guide questions. I don't like being forced to read things that I have little or no interest in. Yeah, ol—bottom locker—me. I used to have a top one, but that's what I get for boasting about it last year. I can remember when I was younger, I was checking the mailbox. I kept feeling something itching at my legs, but I just shrugged it off as I tried to reach inside to get the mail. The itching got worse, so I looked down and from the knee and below, my poor legs were covered in black ants, nipping and biting at my legs. I ran back inside and my mom poured cold water on all of em. And I've never looked at ants the same way again… xD Choice B for you? X3 –Tallies-

**DarkItachi22: **I'm glad you like my story!! x3 (Choice B?) Seme Link would be interesting to write. It probably won't break the character that I have made for him, but he change slightly. But he'll still be cute and pouty :3 Lol Ike has very strong testerone hormones xDDD Ahh, and now I have your say on how you think the story will come out. Well, let's see. We have Ike, Link, Marth, Roy, and Pit. That's five people. So let's do the math. We have one pair, and another pair. But that leaves someone out. Meaning SOMEBODY'S not gonna have a lover. O.o _I wonder who…?__** Thank you. **_I literally DRAIN myself writing this fic, but it's my baby :3 I put lots of effort into it so all my readers can enjoy it! I used to do the same thing, giving up on my idea. I almost gave up on this one, but I figured that there were IkeXLink fans out there wanting to see something like this. AHH! LOLLIPOP! –nomnomnom-

O w O

Now let's see… I just tallied the votes, and **Choice B** is leading by **one point**. Close race!! I can't wait to see how it turns out! :3 It would be tied if I was voting, but I'm not. It wouldn't be fair since I am writing this for you guys. But if I was being selfish, I would vote for **Choice A** Cx

_Seme Pit will prevail…_

_**Next Chapter…**_ Pit tattletales to Link about what he saw despite Marth's heedful warning. Doubting, but very conscious about the whole situation, Link emotionally reacts to this discovery, his love, trust, and relationship with the mercenary _tested!_

And yes, it is official, Link will catch Ike and Marth in chapter eleven.

Voting is still open for anyone who wants to!

Review?

C:

Much Love,

HokageAkamaru


	12. White Lie

Title: A Lover's Brawl

Pairing(s): **IkeXLink**, **IkeXMarth**, Eventual **MarthXRoy**, Eventual **PitXLink**

Rating: M

**Full Story:** _Link has always been the quiet, shy type. That is… until Ike came into his life. Since then, Ike and Link have been an inseparable item ever since they've laid eyes on each other. Marth, coping with his broken heart after the disappearance of his very own lover—Roy—had secretly loved Ike from the beginning. But it was too late, Link was the only one on Ike's mind._

_With his seductive powers and body, he lures Ike to him, the both of them sharing many nights together. And ever since, Ike has not been able to let him—nor his delicious shape—go. Link is totally unaware of this, Ike constantly lying to him about his whereabouts to protect he and his prince's relationship. With whole-hearted trust, Link believes every single word._

_Marth wants a fully committed relationship with Ike—tired of hiding it—and he will do anything to get it, even if that means hurting one of the people that he loves the most._

_But there is one more person that complicates this plot._

_Someone who watches his crush from afar._

_(This story takes place after Super Smash Brother's Melee, the reason why Roy is "missing")_

**A/N: MarthXRoy**ness in the next chapter! :DDD

I hope that you will like it. I would've put it in this one, but I'm being hammered with crap, so...

_Sorry_... D:

Am I making Pit out to be too much of a mother to the kids? O.o It's like, he has a strong, maternal side or somethin', and Link's made out to be the dad... Eh, I don't know. I feel that way xD Tell me if it creeps you out a bit.

Well, the **results** for the **SemexUke**/**LinkxPit** drama:

**Choice A:** 7

**Choice B: **11

...

**Choice B!**

_Ahh_, yes... Seme Link and Uke Pit. I guess our favorite angel will never get the chance to top, now will he? All of my fellow "**Choice A**" voters, I _**promise**_ to make Pit as seme-ish as I can without him actually being seme!

...?

_Wait_, does that even make _sense? _Oh well, I'll figure this out soon. Enjoy Chapter Ten... one more chapter away until Ike gets the boot, the polygamous manwhore xD (Doesn't "polygamous" sort of _imply_ "manwhore"?)

Painful** LinkXPit**, **IkeXMarth**, a _bit_ of** LinkXMarth **and painful **IkeXLink **D:

That makes me sad.

(Please excuse all mistakes. M'tired... but there should be few :3)

* * *

Ike woke up at an unusual hour the next day—_6:42 A.M._

The sun's scarlet rays baked his skin while shining through the prince's silk curtains. Marth—who was sleeping like a baby in the pair of strong arms—snored lightly, occasionally snuggling closer to his body warmth. Ike gazed down upon the healthy blue locks, a smile slowly stretching across his lips as he recollected the amazing events that occurred the night before...

Marth was totally in control for the first half of the evening, giving Ike the best blow job of his life—second to Link, of course. Nothing could surpass that. And ironically, that was also Marth's very first time doing such a thing.

_"What would you like me to do?"  
"Does this bring you pleasure?"  
"More pressure...?"_

Those were some of the countless questions the prince whispered erotically into his bitten ears. All he wanted to do was pleasure his lover, eliminating any thoughts of Link that brought him sorrow.

And it worked.

After the first lick, if anyone would've asked Ike where Link was, he would've responded with something similar to: "Link? Who's Link?"

And as he looked back at it, he felt remorse.

Marth devoured each and every square _centimeter_ of toned skin, nibbling like a little mouse on its prized cheese. He did what he felt he had to do—what Ike had came to him for—and that was to console him, comfort him... to make his forbidden lover feel enormous pleasure while he shooed away all his pain.

But for the second half of their intimacy bout, Ike's dominant instincts took over, caging the adventurous prince between his body and the bed—the position where he believed every submissive belonged. Those gorgeous, vibrant sapphires gazed conspicuously into his that evening the very moment Ike hoisted his arms above his head. Instead of ravishing him senseless, Ike remembered Marth's strict intimacy policy, and stuck to it. He caressed him, sobbed, "_I love you_" countless times, and kissed each pore of the prince's smooth, ivory skin. And strangely, it was enough for him with the monarch's beautiful, blissful cries to egg him on.

The night before truly was one of satisfaction and sincere, emotional love. But the remorse kicked right back in...

..._Why couldn't he have done this with Link?_

Marth's indignant moan brought Ike back to his senses. He stirred a little in his arms, squeezing his body tighter. Ike fingered a couple stray pieces of silky hair, admiring his prince's youthful appearance. The prince was as lovely as they came nowadays—Link was lovely, too, in his own, natural way.

"_Marth_..." he spoke, gently kissing the monarch's eyelids. They tensed, but did not open.

He smiled.

_Sleepy little thing..._

Ike pulled the locks of hair that he rubbed between his fingers behind his ear, removing the cobalt bangs out of his gorgeous face as well. That provided him with enough fresh skin to kiss; his starting point was his jaw. He lubricated his dry lips and created a route of sweet, wet pecks to his shoulder blades and back. The final kiss was laid square on his paramour's thin, pink tulips.

"_Maaaaaarrrthhh_.._.?_"

And with that last kiss, his prince awakened, sleepy aquamarine eyes met the lively azures. He stretched, rubbing his eyes...

"_Nn... mmn_..."

He squinted; his entire room was washed over in gold, including Ike's sun-kissed skin, glowing ever so radiantly. He looked like an angel, or some other life form that leaked blinding radiance.

"_Good Morning_..." greeted the mercenary with an added kiss. Marth's lips bore a teeny, warm smile. He glued his hands together, placed them onto his feather-stuffed pillow, and laid his precious head back down, shutting his eyes after he acknowledged the person responsible for interfering with his beauty rest.

"..._How do you wake up so early?_"

"_I'm used to it, silly. You should be, too._"

The royal one softly giggled, which earned him a kiss to his unusually chapped lips, "_It's been a while since I've gotten to sleep in. I take advantage of it every chance I get._"

Ike simpered handsomely, planting two kisses to his cheeks, and a final on his shoulder. He couldn't keep his lips off of him this morning, oddly.

"_Thanks for talking some sense into me last night_... _I wasn't myself_."

"_Are you… feeling better now...?_" Marth questioned, a cute yawn severing his inquiry.

"_Much better..._"

The prince shifted, becoming closer with the warm, masculine body, which was only millimeters away.

"_That's good... I was happy to help_."

Ike felt something soft and cold come in contact with his collar bone; Marth's head was buried there, so he assumed that he planted a simple kiss.

That made him smile...

"_Are you going back to Link now...? Is that why you woke me up?_"

"Do you wish for me to stay?"

"_I have no problem with you leaving or staying. You've already made me indescribably happy just by coming to my dorm... and lying in my bed, confiding in me, holding me. Don't feel bad about leaving_..." droned the exhausted beauty, struggling to remain awake. Ike could barely hear him...

_Marth... you are so easy to please, yet hard to satisfy... How is that, I wonder?_

The young prince snaked his arms around the other's waist, "_But losing this amazing warmth will make me very sad..._"

"..._I'm sorry_."

Ike's eyes wandered onto a somewhat pink bruise on the prince's neck. It was—for sure—illustrated by him, standing out like a sore thumb amongst the soft, rich, vanilla skin. He smiled at his creation, and took the sore into his mouth, slapping his tongue against it. Marth shivered at the moist organ, the sensitive nerve endings on the new scar distributing tingling sensations throughout his awakening body. Ike loved the adorable sounds that birthed from the monarch's throat—encouraged—suckling greedily at the affectionately-ripped skin. Oh how he would give anything to have a voice recorder...

...Marth wished he could wake up to this every day.

Ike kissed the broken flesh for the final time, departing from it to meet the prince's droopy, appreciative orbs and cute smile.

"_Ike...?_" he asked, his eyes shutting but his gratifying smile lingering.

"Yes?"

"_Lay with me for a couple more minutes, please...?_"

It was only 6:51 A.M., and he wanted to get back to his blonde as soon as he could.

But he figured he could spare a little more time.

"Sure, darling..." the mercenary responded, resuming his affectionate assault on the sore on the prince's shoulder.

xXx

Link's door was unlocked.

Ike candidly opened it wide enough for his body to slip through, and quietly shut it behind him.

Despite it being ridiculously sunny in Marth's room, it was nothing but cold, dark and desolate in the blonde's. His curtains were closed, not allowing any of the sun's happy rays inside. It depressed Ike a little, and seeing Link curled up in a tight ball, the covers barely covering his body and Moby staring up at him with a "You-should-be-ashamed-of-yourself" expression made the remorse tumor in his heart grow a dangerous two times bigger. Link's hands were somewhat clasped about his waist, seeking warmth. Ike could see tiny colonies of bumps ripple his peachy skin from absence of a human body's warmth next to him... _his_.

It was disheartening...

He slowly slipped between the covers at his usual side of the bed. Link—having some subconscious, heat-seeking detector—rolled right into his arms as he was just about to hold him, moaning as he doused his frozen body with the new heat. Ike rubbed down his love's arms, thighs, and spoiled him with soft kisses, careful not to wake him. The goose bumps disappeared.

They would talk when the blonde was fully awake.

xXx

_11:43 a.m._

"_Nngh_..."

The shorter swordsman emerged from his comfortable slumber... smacking his lips as he stretched.

Wait, stretch?

He couldn't, not with Ike's arms bound so tightly around him.

Wait... _Ike?_

Wasn't he supposed to be up in his dorm sleeping? What was he doing in his bed, then? And when did he arrive in his dorm? At what time, preferably?

"_Good morning, love_."

Link looked up with his ears perking madly; he was surprised to see his comrade and lover.

And much to his delight, he was given an unexpected kiss.

"_Good... Good morning..._"

"Sleep well?"

"Um... _Yeah_," he fibbed.

"...So you weren't lonely last night?"

Link bit his upper lip...

_No…_

…_A little…_

…_A lot._

"_It's okay_... you can tell me the truth. You can tell me that I left you feeling hurt and confused. That I left you all alone in bed... that I said very mean things to you and that I'm the worst partner ever."

Ike didn't mean to say all of what he internally felt, but the more he rambled, the more all of his inner feelings seemed to slip from his lips before he could take them back.

"_No...!_" The blonde lowered his gaze by a degree at this disapproval.

"...If anyone is the horrible partner around here, _it's me_... I should do more to make you happy, to _keep_ you happy... It's like I'm not doing my job."

"Link, darling—"

"_It's true!_ I feel responsible for your happiness... But you aren't... and that means that I'm not doing _something_ right..."

_How could Link be so emotional at this hour? I can see that he's still a little sleepy... The truth comes out whenever he is; maybe he doesn't really mean this. Although it sounds like something Link would say... Something he would think._

"But babe, _I'm happy now_..."

Their fingers entwined underneath the covers, the archer's face flushing bit by bit. Ike craned his head to kiss his crestfallen lips, then looking sincerely into his eyes.

"You make me happy, yes... Just the very sight of you excites me. But don't get depressed just because you didn't cheer me up...! I get a little moody sometimes; it's hard to talk me out of things..."

"_Although your 'mistress' did an awful good job of it with that wonderful tongue of his, now didn't he?_" mentioned his conscious, or the angel floating on the opposite side of the demon on Ike's right shoulder.

"But... _I'm your lover_. I should _do_ more..." Link mumbled into his chest, his lips tickling his flesh. Ike held his lover like the precious china he was.

_The parent must not display signs of stress or depression in front of their child... for the he or she will likely become stressed or depressed as well._

"_Link... Look! Look at me...!_"

The blonde peered up. Ike pointed to his toothy, stupid grin, saying through his teeth, "_See?! I'm happy! I'm smiling and I'm really, really happy! And you should be too..._"

The sheepish smile on the traveler's wracked a laugh out of the Hyrulean, he did have a point though. If Ike was feeling better, it made no sense for him to stay depressed over his mate's own depression if he wasn't depressed...

"Okay."

Link wet his lips, crushing them against his lover's, which he considered their official "Good Morning" kiss.

But Ike had already gotten plenty of those.

_Pit's dorm..._

_11:43 A.M._

The angel didn't get the recommended eight hours of sleep—who does, honestly? It was very uncomfortable sleeping with a broken, fanned wing. And in addition to that, Marth's warning kept him up all night, along with the very thought of Link alone. He couldn't peel him off like he did his pajamas... He couldn't wash him out of his hair... he couldn't scrub him away like the plaque on his teeth...

The blonde was _everywhere_.

Pit was getting ready to head to breakfast, but suddenly remembered to say his morning salutations to his goddess. He gracefully genuflected before his made bed, closing his eyes...

_Palutena, I pray that today is a much better day than yesterday... But something assures me that things will not go all that well. The mortal that I have fallen for... his partner has been unfaithful to him. I know I should tell him this, because it is not right. But if I do, the consequences are grand. I... I do not know what to do. _

Pit finished his prayer and stood to leave for the café...

_**This human has you restless like this, brave one?**_

The angel stopped; he looked around him.

_Palu... Palutena?_

_**Yes, it is I. My guidance... You requested it?**_

She was speaking to him telepathically.

_Um... Yes... for my troubles._

_**Your troubles, you say? You must really love this mortal...**_

_With all of my very soul._

_**You would do anything for him, I presume?**_

_...Anything and everything._

_**I see... You are truly a delicate one...**_

_Goddess... I love him... and I do not want to see him perish like I know he will when he discovers what his partner is doing...! But... but I cannot risk our companionship_—

—_**Sometimes... Great sacrifices have to be made to save others... Dwell on that, brave one.**_

Pit could feel the strong signal he perceived from Palutena fade away. She couldn't leave him! Not now and not in his state!

_Palutena? Palutena...?!_

...She was gone.

_...Great sacrifices?_

His stomach flip-flopped; he knew what that meant.

And he was _definitely_ going to dwell on it.

xXx

"Waffles, _again?!_ You're going to lose that slim stomach, Link, if you keep that up," warned his partner.

Link dumped a spoonful of freshly-glazed strawberries on top of his colossal waffle, licking his lips.

He fell victim to anything sweet.

"Oh, _shut it_, Ike," the blonde snapped, adding a heap of powdered sugar to finish it off, "they're irresistible. Plus I work out. Now look at you. That's a _mountain_ of food compared to my plate!"

Ike chuckled, grabbing a glass of orange juice.

"Hey. I'm a growing man."

The archer rolled his eyes, choosing milk over juice, and followed Ike to their common table. Marth was already seated with his muffins and omelet, sipping on his black coffee. He pulled out his chair, but then found Pit, sitting by himself, reading a newspaper. Ness, Lucas and Toon Link were near-by, flicking food across the cafeteria. The ring leader was Toon Link, who pulled back his silver spoon—forming a catapult—and shot a grape at Ganondorf, who wasn't eating at all.

"_BULLSEYE!_"

The angel caught the next air-borne fruit—it was a thin slice of banana—marching over to the little one's table.

"_...Pit's coming,_" warned Lucas, biting his nails. He could tell that something was up, him being the more observant one. Pit wasn't acting himself that morning.

"_You're in troooouuuublllllle..._" said Ness.

Pit hovered over the young swordsman, and by the look on the angel's face, he didn't even try to back talk him.

"_Toon Link! Food is meant to be eaten, not thrown! I want you to sit down properly and eat your breakfast... NOW!_" scolded Pit.

"_Yesss siiiiir..._"

Toon Link slowly sank back into his seat, moving around his scrambled eggs with the back of his spoon. Pit sat down once again, raking through his hair and continuing to read the paper. Link watched...

_Peach, Zelda and Samus must've gone shopping… Usually they would sit with him._

"_Pit_... He looks a little worn, don't you think?" Link inquired his close friends.

Ike took a big bite out of his buttered, raisin toast.

"He's the only one who takes care of those kids; _someone has to_. I sure as hell don't have the patience for them. Link would make a good mommy—" Ike tapped his abdomen "—How's he coming along, sweetheart?"

Link slapped his significant other, turning scarlet as he remembered Ike's "pregnant" joke; Marth faked a laugh.

"_Ow!_"

"There isn't a 'he'. And I should go sit with him... You guys wouldn't mind...?"

"_'Course not_, sugar! Children can be a handful."

Ike looked at the prince with an "Are-you-crazy?!" glint in his eyes. Did he _want_ Pit to tell Link?! _Probably_, he thought. Marth shortly flicked his orbs over to the indigo-haired man's.

_"I know what I'm doing..."_ spoke the aquamarines. Ike put his trust in them...

"Um... _no_. I don't mind, either, babe."

A large, happy grin took over the perfect lips. Link cradled Ike's face in his hands, turning him away from his breakfast as he licked away the toast crumbs that stuck to the corners of his mouth with the dry tip of his tongue. Ike chuckled, finding this very humorous and well as ticklish. Link giggled, too, lastly kissing him with unmistakable feeling.

"I believe I won't ever have use of a napkin ever again, thanks to that," Ike commented, dragging a hand through his mate's golden locks. Link winked, "Maybe. If you'd stop those 'hilarious' jokes of yours."

Marth focused his attention elsewhere, crossing his legs. Link grabbed his plate, and waved, winking at his partner. Ike returned the gesture, biting his lip, then waited as Link walked further and further away from their table.

"You don't think... Pit'll _tell_, do you?"

"_Not if he cared about our little deal_..." the prince retorted, caressing his knee underneath the table, "_Don't worry...!_ I have _everything_ under control."

Ike apprehensively shrugged...

"And Ike?"

"_Mm?_" His teeth sunk into his watermelon slice. The prince flapped his eyes lashes...

"_Would I make a good mommy?_"

_Another_ question of the prince's that went unanswered.

_Pit's table..._

"_Hey_."

Pit peered up from his paper, groaning internally.

_Just what I need._

Link took a seat across from the angel.

"How are you?"

"_Fine_..." he retorted with a strain.

"_Okay_... That's good."

The blonde picked up a strawberry with his fingers, globs of its cherry-red glaze smothering all over them. He caught a little on his hands as he popped the fruit directly into his mouth.

"_Drat_..." mumbled Link to himself... slurping away the sweet sauce. Pit watched each finger, each flick of his tongue, his mouth becoming dry.

Link euphorically giggled. It _had_ to be illegal to be _that _cute. It just had to.

"I'm sorry that I'm making such a big mess... _I'm really hungry._"

The angel blushed horribly.

"Did you already eat breakfast?" the blonde inquired, picking up his fork and knife. He saw the paper littered with yesterday's events and a cup of coffee—_Pit drank coffee?!_—but there wasn't any _food_. Pit ran a hand through his soft, brunet hair, clutching the handle of his mug.

"No, but I'm fine with coffee."

"But it's not healthy to _only_ drink coffee for breakfast—_Ah_—_Here!_ You can have half of my waffle"

Link positioned his utensils above the pastry, preparing to cut a clean, even slice off for his angelic friend.

"No! You go ahead and eat it!"

"Please, I insist. Do you see how _huge_ this is? I'd be the size of King Dee Dee Dee if I ate the whole thing! And you need a _filling_ breakfast. I'll go get you a plate and a fork."

But before Pit could insist on getting them himself, Link was already a couple feet away...

_Gyah..._

He glimpsed over to the kids table; two sets of beady eyes stared right back at him. They had probably been watching him and Link, and Pit noticed the big, snickering smiles on their faces. Lucas knew better, setting him apart from his mischievous pals.

"—_Turn around and eat your food!_ I hope that I will not have to talk to _you_ a third time, Toon Link!"

Link reappeared from the concessions stand, walking in on Pit's nagging.

"Is there a problem?"

"_No. No problem_..." he was given his plate and fork, "...Thanks."

"_You're welcome_."

Link took the other waffle and set it onto the Styrofoam plate coupled with his very own knife and fork.

"So... Aren't you supposed to pick up Popo and Nana from Doctor Mario's, today?"

"Yes. After the kids eat we're supposed to go back to my dorm to wrap their gift and make a couple things... They're really excited about seeing them again."

The Ice Climbers—smitten with curiosity—tried some of the spicy curry a handful of weeks ago, and their immune system went into a state of shock, not accustomed to such hot food. They got really sick—Popo even sicker for indulging too much—and had to be kept in recovery for a very, very long time. Pit had never been so scared in his life...

"I would like to go, too. You know, help with the children..."

Link pat his back softly, spooning another berry into his mouth, "...You're a really good person, Pit. _I 'mire you_."

There was a blatant rosiness in the angel's cheeks; his heart was touched.

"_Th-Thank you_, Link."

He returned a loveable smile, the one that Pit fell in love with, and began digging into his waffle.

_Ike and Marth's Table..._

Marth happily ate his omelet, squealing with glee as the creamy, mozzarella cheese melted on his tongue. Ike saw this, growing warm...

"Is it good?"

"_Delicious!_ But I'm afraid Link's are better..."

Ike tapped his chin with the handle of his silver spoon, "Maybe he'll cook breakfast tomorrow... _You should come over_."

"...But I'd rather have an intimate breakfast—_like this_—with you."

Marth touched his knee underneath the table, the corners of his glossy lips curving northward in a pleasing grin. Ike cautiously returned the gesture, giving his shin a comforting squeeze.

"I hope you like cereal, 'cause that's all I can make... along with toast."

"_Do you have the kind with the cute marshmallows?!_"

"Ibelieve I do..."

Marth eyes shone as bright as the sunlight coming through the glass windows.

"Then that'll do just fine! When can I come over?!"

Ike felt a surge of warmth spread over his body. Seeing that smile... Seeing his prince happy. That's what he desired most from him. Not those sad lines disgracing his baby face, and the water works weren't exactly fun to watch, either. But that smile. It made all the difference.

In a way, he was like a small, household pet. A puppy, if you will: lavish it with love and care, and it'll forever be satisfied and happy with you. But do just the opposite, and you might get just that.

"I'll come to your dorm," said the mercenary, returning his affectionate touch.

"_Really?!_"

He nodded, sinking his teeth into another fresh slice of watermelon, "_Mmphhmm_."

He couldn't hold it back any more. The prince leaned over the table, landing a big, wet one on his right cheek. Ike blushed—a rare sight.

"Yes! _Yes, yes, yes!_"

Ike—satisfied—reverted back into his watermelon...

The prince smiled, and shortly after began touching him, stroking him in various ways underneath the lacy-draped table. But if you looked at him, you would never guessed. He slurped his coffee with one hand, and groped the hell out of his paramour's hardening organ. And sure enough, Ike sensibly felt every stroke, every pinch, every, little, thoughtful move that naughty hand performed with such passion, skill and grace. It was excruciatingly difficult for Ike to finish his breakfast, or brunch if you'd prefer.

Periodically—throughout the prince's personal exploration of Ike's southern part of his body—the taller man coughed a bit, choked lightly on whatever morsel of food he was chewing, squirmed about in his chair and tapped his foot at an unusual pace. The prince was very proud of this accomplishment; having this affect on Ike was a great achievement. Hearing his forbidden lover emit such cute and amusing noises seat was very congenial. There _was_ an uke in him after all...

Finding himself in a sexual rut from watching his partner nearly ward off an orgasm, Marth found the urge within him to want to take this further.

"_I want you_," the prince moaned lustfully, whispering other sexually euphoric things into the mercenary's pink ears. The monarch dared to lick his ear, scaring Ike out of his wits. But he was just as equally intrigued. Marth winked, and left the table, dumping his scraps. He started for the double doors, but looked slightly behind his shoulder, a visible smirk on his pursed lips.

That simply meant, "_Come_."

At least, that's what Ike got from it.

Obediently, he followed his master like an aimless servant, not so hungry for food anymore.

But for something else.

xXx

"_Ness! Be careful with those balloons! Toon Link! How many times must I say it: Do not run with those scissors!_"

All five of them were lost in a sea of colorful wrapping paper, markers, stickers, construction paper, and the dreaded _scissors_. Link was helping Lucas make his friendly card to the Ice Climbers, while the angel supervised Ness and Toon Link as they prepared their ponderous gift. And boy did they need it. Lucas politely asked Link for this color marker or that color marker, and he gladly got it for him. He observed the little one draw at the table, commenting on his detailed doodles...the young boy was truly a talented artist. On the front of the card, there were figures that looked very much like Pit—who had wings far bigger than his body—Ness, Toon Link and himself with a very big rainbow, vast field of grass, and sunny, blue sky behind them. He wrote a nice, little message inside, signing his name with a red crayon; there weren't any misspellings or backwards letters. The two blondes added additional, glittery stickers to beautify the card.

"_There. I'm all done._"

"That looksreally great, Lucas," said Link, grinning genuinely.

Lucas held up his card, grinning proudly.

"_Really...?_ Thanks, Link."

The archer stuck a sticker onto the tip of teeny blonde's nose... A golden star.

"No problem."

The other two boys sat at the table after successfully wrapping their gifts—and Pit—creating their very own cards. Link sat next to Pit as the two men watched the little one's quarrel over the crayons and what-not, Lucas turning out to be the peacemaker.

"They remind me of the children back home..." said Link with a nostalgic smile.

Pit perked up.

"_Oh... really?_"

"_Yes_... the more I watch them, the more I miss them. They looked up to me. It was a very good feeling knowing that I was someone's role model... someone's hero."

"..._Must be._"

The angel glanced to the table again: Ness and Toon Link were now sharing markers, colored pencils and other supplies, the work of Lucas paying off as they seemed to get along.

"They look up to you, Pit, especially Lucas—"

Pit's heart flushed over with warmth at that lone statement… the very same warmth traveled to his face, his chest and to the trench of his tummy...

"—You are _their_ hero."

"_Finished!_ I'm finished, Pit!" Ness ran over to the angel, hopping up and down with his picture raised up to him, "Look! Isn't mine good?!"

"_Noooo! Look at mine! Look at mine!_" Toon Link nearly tumbled as he got over to Pit, jumping way higher than his friend to show the brunet his unique drawing. Pit was overwhelmed.

"_Whoa—!_"

"—Mine is better, right Pit?!" asked the younger swordsman, waving his arts and crafts in his face.

"_Nuh uh!_ Mine is!" lashed Ness.

"No, _mine!_"

"_Mine!_"

"_Miiiine!_"

Pit had to separate the two boys. Why did they have this drive to out shine the other?

"—_Calm down you two! You don't want to mess up your cards, do you?!_"

They bowed their heads a little.

"_No_..."

"Let me see them..."

They handed them to the angel, and he looked over them thoroughly.

"I think _both_ of them are _wonderful_—and yours, too, Lucas. Nana and Popo will really appreciate the hard work that you three have done!"

The three of them smiled, Ness and Toon Link sticking their chests out. Their present was wrapped in red paper with a gigantic, golden bow that Toon Link picked out and made a complete scene in the store when Pit considered otherwise. They all cleaned up Pit's dorm; by working together, they got the job done without wasting much time.

"Lucas, you hold onto your card, Ness and Toon Link can hold theirs as well... I'll carry the present—" he bent over to retrieve the package, but Link held him back with a hand placed over his heart.

"—_Allow_ _me_. You shouldn't put so much strain on yourself like that, especially with that wing..."

Pit turned the color of the wrapping paper; Link's hand was so... _warm__._ He moved away from the present, his thunderous organ surpassing its original tempo. If Link's hand would've lingered a little longer, he would feel the angel's heart reaching out for his hand as it desperately wanted to rip itself free from his body. The blonde was very smart, and he'd put two and two together.

Link lifted their gift with no problem, beaming at the angel. A grin so tender and heart-warming, it made him physically weak—like every other smile his crush made. But this one lasted much, much longer. Link took his sweet time navigating the seas of stunning periwinkle irises, his smile expanding as he did so. Pit accepted the reality that he was about as red as Ness's cap, briefly looking away from the turquoise orbs, then dared to look into the very same eyes.

"_Thank you_," muttered the angel apprehensively.

"You're welcome."

_That smile..._ Pit thought, _that was my smile._ _Not Ike's, or anyone else's... But mine_—

"_Piiiit!_ Let's go!" Toon Link impatiently wailed.

"Ah! Oh, yes! We must get a move on! _Um..._ I guess that leaves me with the balloons."

Link handed him the strings that were bound to hundreds of swelled pink and blue blimps.

—_I hate that I have to be the one to wipe it off his face_.

xXx

They strolled leisurely down many, empty corridors—most of the Smashers doing their own thing on that wonderful Saturday—to reach Doctor Mario's, the kids restless and noisy. Pit conducted the children, making them walk in single file, while he looked over at Link, something catching his interest. Something shiny... His expensive ring.

_...A ring? He wasn't wearing a ring the other day, was he?_

"..._Link?_"

"Yes?"

"_That ring_... were you wearing it yesterday?"

"...Ring?"

The blonde archer shifted the box onto one side of his body, bringing his free arm that bestowed the ring to his face, frowning a little as he remembered its message and why he was wearing it. Pit noticed this significant action, but became puzzled when Link smiled happily.

"Oh no... I wasn't wearing it during Karaoke Friday. Ike gave it to me during our date. He said it was a token of his undying love for me."

But Link couldn't tell him the other half of Ike's so called "_proposal_".

He didn't like the other half.

"...Isn't it beautiful?"

"Oh yes!Very beautiful! Lucky you...!"

Pit tried to sound enthusiastic for him. Link grinned at his jewelry, and then proceeded to carry the fragile box with two hands, maintaining a bland face.

_A ring symbolizes commitment, honesty, and a promise that is to never be broken... Maybe it's not my right place to say this but... Ike isn't committed or honest and he has the audacity to get Link a ring?! He has no—_

_"_—We're almost there!"

Ness roughly yanked Pit's arm out of his joint, running at full speed towards the Doc's infirmary.

_Doctor Mario's Recuperation Room..._

"_POPO! NANA!_"

"_TOON LINK! NESS! LUCAS!_"

The Ice Climbers were tackled by their fellow comrades, Pit getting a little worried. They had just finished healing! They shouldn't be so rough!

"_G-Guys! Don't_—"

He felt Link's presence from behind him... The soothing heat that wafted from his chest laced around Pit's lean body. From the corners of his crystal eyes, he could see Link's lips... Link's perfect, lusty lips.

"_It's okay... Let them be kids_."

Pit shivered at the other man's slightly husky voice, the toasty breath making the hairs on the nape of his neck stand on end. He raggedly exhaled his stilled breath that was painfully hitched in his chest, while letting Link's warmth drain his energy... The angel was thankful that the Ice Climbers were there to keep the other little ones' attention from him and Link, because he looked about ready to melt.

"_But... But I don't want anyone to get hurt_..." he crumbly muttered.

Link chuckled deeply in his ear, the angel flushing. His knees would give way any moment.

"_We all learn from our mistakes, right? What good is it to shield them? You have to let them learn... Don't breathe down their necks too much_."

More hot breath... More tingles up and down his spine.

"..._Okay_."

"_PIT!_"

The angel had it coming to him.

Nana pounced on top of him, rubbing her rosy cheeks against his. Popo joined the dog pile, clutching tightly onto Pit's leg instead. They were still in their pajamas. Link captured Pit's waist before he could tumble over, holding his body up as the youths greeted him. The winged male was already feeling like gelatin from his crush's meaningless advances earlier... The blonde maintained a sturdy grip on Pit's mid-section.

"_You alright?_" asked a concerned Link, _He's really light..._

"Y-Yes..."

And he let go, Pit now able to stand up.

"How are you? Any better?" the angel asked the two.

"MUCH BETTER! _WE MISSED YOU SO MUCH!_" they cried in unison.

Doctor Mario from behind the curtains with a clip board in his hand, rubbing his chin. Pit gingerly set the female Ice Climber back onto the floor, and approached him.

"Are they alright, Doctor? Can I check them out...?"

"_Well-a_... Their immune systems seem-a to be doing fine, but their stomach's are-a little weak... They are-a eating very good now, but still, do not give-a them any spicy, hot food."

Pit folded his arms.

"You heard that? _No spicy food!_"

Nana and Popo flushed, embarrassed.

"But other than-a that, they are-a all ready to go!"

All five children rejoiced.

"_Here is your present!_"

Link set before the two twins their giant gift; their eyes lit up.

"_Uwaaah!_" cried Nana.

"_You got us a present?! Cool!_"

Ness nodded, "It's from every one of us!"

The Ice Climbers tore the wrapping paper into shreds with unrivaled teamwork, the gift revealed to them. It was an ice-climbing tool kit, packed with any kind of tool they needed for climbing any mountain. Of course, Pit had gotten the "safety-proof" ones rather than the metal, sharp-edged tools. He didn't want any accidents...

The Ice Climbers hugged their new gift, then their buddies. Nana sweetly kissed Toon Link; the little blonde blushed. It was nice to see the innocent smiles on their round faces.

And speaking of smiles...

Pit swallowed; he knew what he had to do. But that didn't mean he wanted to do it.

"Um... Doctor? Can you watch them for me? I'll—_We'll _only be a minute."

"Oh, certainly!"

"Thank you... Link?"

"_Eh?_"

"Would you... _come with me?_"

"..._Sure_."

Link did not know what for... but he decided to go along with the angel.

"Pit...?" Lucas softly spoke.

He turned around, "Yes?"

"Where are you going?"

The others all huddled around. Pit bent down, becoming his height.

"Um... I'm just going to be outside the door! Link and I have to talk about some—_uh_—_grown-up stuff!_"

Link was taken aback.

_"Grown-up stuff"...?_

"Oh... _Okay!_"

The angel made sure that his little one's fully understood, and soon left the office, Link following right behind him.

xXx

Link and Pit stood out in the middle of the hallway for some time. The blonde was anxious to know what his friend was up to... The slightly shorter male stared intentionally at his clear-polished toe nails, not able to look into the eyes that caused his breath to become short for so many times.

_I'm doing this for your own good, Link... I'm doing this because I care about you... because I love you_.

"_I_... _I have something to say_."

Link half-smiled. He looked sexy doing that, too.

"Well, you kinda made that obvious..."

Pit gulped... How should he word this?

"_Yeah... um... uhhh... mmnnn..._"

"_Yes?_"

_Goddess... Give me strength!_

"_I... I sawIkeandMarthkissinglastnight!_"

The Hyrulean was clearly confused... he heard Ike and _maybe_ Marth's name... but what exactly _did_ he say?

"_Pardon?_"

Pit sucked it up, looking into the baby blues.

"_I... I saw Ike... and Marth... kissing last night... Outside of the stadium... during Karaoke Friday_."

"_So...?_ _Marth kisses_ _everybody_. Even me, sometimes."

"But the kissing that_ I _saw_..._ They were—err—_exchanging saliva_."

"You mean_..._ they wereusing_ tongues? French kissing?_"

He nodded, hesitant.

What the other bow-wielder just told him sounded very surreal... Ike and Marth...? _French kissing?_ This _couldn't_ be true, and what kind of sick joke was Pit pulling? Whatever it was, Link did not like it.

Not one bit.

"I-I know it's hard to believe... _but what I speak is the truth!_ I saw them, I really did! _With my own, two eyes!_" He pointed to them, energetically reenacting the events, "_They were like animals!_ Marth _threatened_ me not to tell you what I saw; _he shoved me to the ground for crying out loud! He crawled on top of me and shook me by my shirt like a mad man—!_"

"—How _dare_ you."

Pit got off the floor and unwrinkled his shirt.

"_Wh... What_—_?_"

"—How _dare_ you bad mouth Marth? He would _never_ do anything like that."

"Then... _you don't know him that well! Neither do you know Ike!_" blurted Pit, quickly capping his lips with his hands. He knew he said something he shouldn't have... when he looked into Link's eyes... They looked... _hurt_.

"_I don't believe you..._ _Who are you to say something like that?_ You're telling me that I don't know my own best friend? My own _lover?_ I've been with Ike for over a year... _A year_. And I've known Marth even longer than that. So I think I know them pretty damn well. Oh, and the whole "kissing" business? I'm not buying it."

_Palutena...? If this is supposed to be a good thing... If this is supposed to benefit Link... then why does it feel like I'm losing him? Is this the "Great Sacrifice" you were talking about?_

"_L... Link. No—_"

"—Ike_ loves_ me. He'dnever do that to me... He'd never_—Marth_ would _never _do _anything_ knowing that it would hurt me... and neither would Ike...!"

Those sure were a lot of "Never"s.

The blonde lowered his head... gazing uninterestedly at his glittering, promise ring.

_At least... _

Pit tried to keep down the swollen lump that clogged his air pipe, unable to breathe as normally as he wished... Link looked so infuriated, and yet so broken.

_Why do I feel like I'm hurting him...? Ike and Marth are the ones who should be feeling this pain... _

_Not me._

"_Li-nk_..." the angel sobbed, "_You have to believe me!_ I'd... I'd_ never_ lie to you, I swear...! _You're my friend! I care about you_—_!_"

He reached out for his shoulder, but Link pulled it away, turning his head.

"…If you truly were my friend, you wouldn't lie to me."

Pit—on the brink of tears—helplessly watched his hopes and his dreams walk away from him.

_Please tell me that I didn't do anything wrong, goddess..._

_I... I did the right thing._

_...Right?_

xXx

The brunet dried his eyes with his sleeve before he set foot in the office again, finding tools scattered all over the floor. Originally, the angel would be very angry with all of the young Smashers... but he let it go this time, befuddling them.

"_Sorry guys!_ I'm back!" said Pit with too much excitement in his voice. He started picking up the tools, humming a beautiful tune. If he fooled anybody, well, it wasn't Lucas. He noticed the angel's strange behavior straightaway—along with everyone else—and decided to be the brave soul to confront him about it.

"_Pit...?_"

Pit smiled at the yellow-haired boy, "Yes?"

_His eyes... they're all red and puffy. _

"...Are you okay?"

Pit looked around him and into the other children's eyes that seemed to be asking the very same question. He put on the biggest, convincing smile he could; he didn't want them to worry about him...

"Why, _I'm fine!_"

"Where did Link go...?" asked Toon Link. He knew Pit was acting weird when he wasn't nagged at for opening the box.

"_Link...?_ Well... He wanted to stay, but he had to go some place. Just like us!"

All ten ears perked up.

"_Huh?_"

"Didn't you guys want to go to the fall carnival? It opens today."

Gasps filled the air, or sucked the oxygen out of it.

"_THE FALL CARNIVAL?! YAY!_"

"_But first_... We have to clean up!" the angel included, neatly putting the safety tools back into their individual cases.

"Hurry everybody! Clean up so we can go to the carnival!" ordered Ness, and they got to it, ridding the Doctor's office of the instruments. They chatted about what rides they wanted to get on. Toon Link was thrilled when he thought of the humongous rainbow lollipops that he'd always wanted to try. Lucas couldn't wait to chow down on the sweet, sugar-spun cotton candy, and the Ice Climbers were very fond of the churned strawberry and chocolate ice cream that gave _everyone_ but them a brain freeze.

Pit eavesdropped on their innocent conversations, laughing along with them as he pitched in.

_I have five little ones to look after... that should be enough to keep him out of my thoughts._

xXx

"_Come on, Link._ _Tell me, baby_," pleaded the mercenary as he nuzzled his nose into his fuming partner's neck.

"I said _no!_"

Link squirmed, trying to wriggle his way out of Ike's large lap. What point of "_no_" did he not get? But the blonde couldn't blame him... If he saw Ike sitting all alone on a bench sporting a depressed look he'd want to know what was up. For the thousandth time the archer said he did not want to talk about why he was upset, but his love didn't care. He was going to get the truth out of him somehow.

"_Fish Lips_, _please_ tell me what is wrong... _How am I supposed to make you happy?_"

"You can start by stop asking me to tell you—_because I'm not going to_—and by letting me go."

"_To hell!_ I want to know what has you looking so... _pitiful._ And m'not lettin' go 'til you tell me. So there."

The smaller male "Hmph"ed, settling down in Ike's lap.

_There's no arguing with him..._

"_Yep_. We can stay here _all_ night. Fine with me," Ike taunted, squeezing the lean body tighter, "I'm not lettin' you off that easily."

"_You always do this_... you _always_ force me to talk about things that I _clearly _don't want to talk about._ I_ don't force you to discuss _anything_ that you don't want to talk about with me... _It's not fair!_"

Ike blinked, "_Look_, I'm not tryin' to '_force_' nothin' out of you... I just don't like being left out... _We're lovers_. We don't keep secrets from each other... _Right?_"

_Who am I to be saying this?_

Link wrinkled his brows...

_"Secrets"...?_

Link positioned himself so that he would be face to face with his lover as he sat in his lap, grasping his warm cheeks, unaware that he was torturing him with his innocent eyes.

"_Right_... Secrets aren't healthy in a relationship, Ike."

"Um... Yeah. Not healthy."

"But..._ This matter... I-I can't_—Ike, I really, _really_ don't want to talk about _this_. At least not now... _Please don't make me._"

Link clung to him, shoving his face into his shoulder. The makeup of his voice was fragile and gentle, and a little shaky in some parts of his plea. Whatever "this" was, it's gotten him shivering like a wet, hairless puppy.

"_Hey, hey, hey..._" Ike pulled his blonde away from his shoulder by the collar of his candycane-patterned shirt, "...Don't you _dare_ start crying. You know I can't stand that—"

"—_I'm not gonna cry!_" retorted Link, poking his lips.

The indigo-haired mercenary cackled, tangling their fingers as he kissed his tinted cheeks.

"Don't worry... You've made it very clear. _We don't have to talk if you don't want to_."

A simple smile took over the full lips of the archer's, "Okay, thank you for being understanding, Ike..."

A chaste, gentle kiss to the traveler's own petals.

"_Aww_. You're welcome, babe. _Whatever floats your boat_," Ike sensually joked, giving a little squeeze to his partner's hips, rousing a cry of surprise and stimulation out of him. After he recovered from the forced cry, Link smirked, chortling with great interest...

"_You insatiable devil_..." he accused, their lips colliding... And once he pulled away—like always—the Hyrulean licked his top lip first, the bottom second, but before he could even get to it, something sweet caught his tongue.

He smacked a little...

_...Blueberries?_

"First _cherries,_ and now _blueberries_...? Are you sneaking into Marth's dorm and stealing his lip balm?"

"_I most certainly_ _am not._ Marth kissed me—err... _a lot_. He was really happy about something... but you know how he rambles, so I really didn't hear what he was talking about."

"_Oh_... Okay."

_See, Pit? Marth just has a loving soul... He's a little friendlier than the others..._

Ike smirked, mentally wiping the beads of sweat off his forehead. He _barely _got away with that one... But at least he was telling parts of the truth. The sticky lips of the blonde's sowed themselves onto his mate's jaw as he stroked his fine, unruly locks... Coming across an unexpected find about his neck.

"_Wh-What's that...?_" Link inquired. The other swordsman's tongue was currently assaulting Link's earring at the moment, so he was pretty much busy. He answered, regardless.

"_What's what_, babe?"

Link dragged his cold finger tips from his face and to his neck, caressing the tinted mark, "_This... _What is_ this?_"

Ike swatted his hand away as he tried to inspect his own skin, "_What are you worried about now_—"

He knew what Link was talking about. The indigo-haired man flushed nervously, slapping his hand over the obvious love bite.

_Damnit, Marth._

"..._M-Mosquito bite. Damned things. They're very aggressive this year. I think I saw a couple of 'em in my dorm last night._"

"Aw. Poor thing."

Buying into his pathetic excuse, Link removed his mate's hand, licking the "mosquito bite" to make it better, tasting what he did not expect to find...

_Blueberries_.

Link was pretty sure mosquitoes didn't wear blueberry lip gloss. Ike's heart pounded, but not as fast as Link's who put two and two together without any difficulty.

_No..._

Link pulled down Ike's collar, discovering another bite. He sampled that, too...

More blueberries.

What other proof did he need?

A strip search?

_This... this can't be..._

Eyes finally locked, Link's with fretful lines dangling from his. Ike didn't know what to say to his love... He could deny that the marks came from the prince, but what idiot would do that? He was already trapped.

"_Baby—now before you go berserk, it's not what you think_—" Ike started, nearly bunching his words together, but Link was way ahead of him. He launched out of the swordsman's lap like a rocket on a launching pad, tumbling into the grass. He barely had the strength to stand...

"_Link!_Listen to me—!"

The blonde wasn't hearing it. He pushed off the earth, running as fast as his short, agile legs could carry him. His eyes were glued shut, and he bit down with enough force to shatter almost all of his teeth.

_No, no, no, no, no! Pit you are wrong_—

He was unstoppable, that is, until he rammed into Marth for the umpteenth time, the both of them descending into a patch of Peach's flowers, which were planted just about everywhere outside of the Smash Mansion. Link landed on top, caging him with his legs.

"_My goodness_, Link! Where are _you_ off to in such a hurry?"

Link rubbed the back of his head, grunting. How Marth survived that hit to the ground would remain an unsolved case... He looked at his friend, who was smiling, one-hundred percent conscious. His lips were perfect and stout, shining in the white sun, and the Hyrulean had them right where he wanted them to be.

—_And I will prove that you are wrong._

The archer did not give his best friend—for now—a response to his question. Instead, he stared at his lips intensely, the prince still simpering like a village idiot. What happened next thunderstruck him, though.

"May I help you, _sweetums_—?"

Link wedged his mouth into Marth's whose nostrils flared as he sharply inhaled, taken utterly by surprise. The last time they had kissed like that was when Link needed "help" finding out if he was indeed homosexual or not. He asked Marth to kiss him. A small, sweet little peck on his lips—just to see if he liked the feel and taste of another man's mouth against his. That "small, sweet little peck" quickly evolved into a famished Link that roughly ate Marth's tongue out. A peculiar night, that night was.

Lips slowly departed, the blonde capturing all the pasty balm he could.

Marth—distraught, bright red, and a little hot under the collar—blinked at his comrade, who plainly straddled over his body, not one splash of pink in sight.

_Anything but blueberry, Marth. _

_Out of all the many lip balms that you own... Please._

_Not blueberry._

"L-Link?"

Link closed his eyes, licked his lips... and tasted the fruit that he would disdain for the rest of his life... He would never look at blueberry muffins, pancakes, or pie the same way again.

"Link? Is everything okay—?"

"—Marth?"

Link released his friend from his "cage", the both of them sitting up.

"Yes?"

"You wouldn't lie to me… _R__ight?_"

"Of course not, Link! You are my best friend! I love you too much to tell you lies. _You know that...!_"

The blonde massaged his wrinkled forehead, "Then you can answer these questions. You've kissed Ike today, am I correct?"

Marth blushed slightly, "…Yes. I have. _Friendly kisses_, mind you!"

"A couple minutes ago, I found a red mark on his neck. Two of them. I licked them—yes,_ licked_—and tasted blueberries. And so I pressed my lips to you—just to see what flavor lip gloss you put on today—and your lips tasted exactly like the wounds on Ike's neck…"

The prince giggled, but despite what he displayed on the outside, on the inside… He was scared shitless. Had he and Ike been caught? And in the weirdest way?

"You could've just asked me, you know! I would've told you!" the prince claimed, fanning a hand his friend's direction with a frolicsome smile.

"Marth, this is_ serious_ to me. Are those_ love bites _on_ my _Ike's neck from you?"

There was emphasis on the "_my_", showing possessiveness, which was really rare for the blonde to show. The cobalt-haired prince blinked, remaining cool as he simply lied to his best friend.

Well? What was he supposed to say? "_Yes I put hickeys all over your boyfriend's neck, shoulders and below. I can't help myself! He tastes like peach sherbert!_"? He had to protect his relationship with the mercenary... It wasn't the time or the place for such a revelation.

He pressed a warm hand upon Link's knee, putting on the most genuine look he could assemble.

"_Link… How could you think that?_ I would never do anything to destroy you and Ike's relationship—"

"—Sweetheart…!"

The blonde man looked up; it was Ike who breathlessly panted his pet name.

"Ike… Let me handle this—" Marth offered.

"—_No_. _I'll_ be the one doing the talking."

"And _I'll _be the one doing the questioning!" Link exclaimed as he stood, approaching his lover, "_I… I_ want to know who—or what—made those marks! _Give me the truth, Ike Greil!_"

"_I made them!_" blurted Marth, totally disregarding Ike's volunteer to answer all of the testy inquiries that he _knew_ Link could conjure, "_But I-I was playing around!_"

The shorter man folded his arms; he gazed into Ike's eyes…

"...'Playing around'?"

"_Mmhmm! _We were just—_um_—_having a little fun!_ You weren't there; you were with Pit and the kids! Ike wouldn't stop tickling me! And so I had to… to_ bite_ him a little bit to get him off! You know how rough he is!"

Link calculated in his mind...

"_But Ike?_" the petite blonde turned to his lover, with round, sad eyes, "Didn't you say that those bites were caused by mosquitoes? Now Marth is saying that _he_ made them…" he angled towards his best friend, "_And Marth…?_ Those marks are very red… I would imagine that 'friendly kisses' would be much softer and less _bright_..."

Ike gnawed on his lower lip… shooting the prince a "_What-the-hell-did-I-just-say?!_" expression, praying that Link didn't catch it.

That's one of the few things he didn't like about the shorter male: his superb, critical thinking skills.

There was nothing that he could say... nothing he could do to prove that the marks were not from the prince, but from the blood-sucking insects, since he had already told him about them 'playing around'. Which was partly true—except the '_playing_' bit...

After the first meal of the day, there was full-blown kissing and groping going on behind Ike's closed door. Marth chewed on Ike's skin like sugarless gum, yipping as the indigo-haired swordsman whispered very naughty things into his ears as the lower region of their bodies slowly grinded against the other in heated passion.

Link looked to the nearby apple tree, blinking back the droplets that involuntarily welled up in his eyes…

"So, which one is it…? Which one of you is... is… _lying_ to me…?"

* * *

_Poor Linky-pie._ D:

And it doesn't get any better than this, folks.

And also, the **LinkXPit**ness in this chapter... Was Link being too much of a seme? _I'm not so sure_... I wasn't trying to make him seme (...yet. e w e) but it sure felt like I was as I wrote... _Eh, I'm a little weird this week. _

Review time?

C":

**Sachiko V:** I have saved almost sixty pictures onto my flash drive… Thank you for the link… my fan art lust has been sated (for now) -bows honorably- Gaaah, it made me want to write Choice A D; But since Choice B won, I must write LinkXPitness. Which isn't that bad. When Marth helped Link dress up was my favorite scene to write! :D I'm not a fashion expertise, but I do know a few things! And I think that Marth is the only one who would actually point things out in an outfit that would work and wouldn't xD AND I HAD NO IDEA! Link is "do-able" I mean… he's like… sexy. But he's an uke (depending on who you pair him with, like Pit. But I can sorta see Pit being seme… SORT-TA). How can you be a sexy uke? - 3 – Hmmmmm… I have this Chinese exchange student. He mispronounces English words and all the girls "awww" over it. But he is adorable… :3 WAAAH.

**Lunar Guardian:** I think you're the third person that has given me a cookie :DDD -receives- Glad you like the long chapters, my dear! x3 I don't mean to type so much. Ideas flow to me, you know? Hard to stop 'em. Choice B, I see. Thanks for reviewing!

**DarkItachi22:** The internet hates you, too? Eh, I think it's Windows Vista that hates me... I would like a Mac, but they're too complicated (Why am I discussing about computers?!)… Ehem. I only picked French because it was such a pretty language. Kinda self-centered xDDD But Spanish doesn't really interest me for some reason, although it is more commonly used. You have predicted what was going to happen in this chapter in your review! You have really good—er—predictability skills :DDD But I will not announce what happens beyond that. Me? I'm doing just fine! 'Cept it's like my English teacher is trying to fail me with all this crap, and my Geometry teacher is out to get me. The bitch. Thanks for the best wishes! I'm gonna need 'em... xDDD

**Lynnie Kleriker: **_Ahh_. Another person who has played Ike's game—another person cooler than me xD Well, I'm too poor to buy his game—big time spender on clothes. And when I was writing this fic I thought about looking up his character and what he was like, but I was too lazy xP So I just portrayed him as what I thought he would act like, or whatever. WAS I CLOSE EVEN IF HE IS A BIT OOC?! xD Prolly not, and yeah, I am making Link a little too feminine, but he doesn't realize it as much as Marth does :3 I CAN'T HELP IT!_ HE'S SO CYUUUUTE_ :DDD Ehem... And how Ike got that money? That will be a mystery to me, too. I know nothing about FE, and strangely, that works for me. Thanks for the compliment, I do my best. AH! ALMOST FORGOT TO GIVE YOU A COOKIE! -hands sugar cookie- Thanks for reviewing, too. I would love to hear more of your thoughts 83

**Gathouria:** Ha, I was wondering if you were going to leave two reviews for me (Me-sa can't see the pictures... D:) IkeXPit will forever be an unsolved mystery for me, like LinkXRoy. How did that come about? _Hmm..._ I can't draw. I tried drawing and it totally did not work out, that's when I found out that I was a very good writer. And it showed in my English classes. HAAHAAAA!

**Kurai:** Is Marth getting feminine a bad thing...? Ike and Link?! Getting married?! Having babies?! A fic I must make... x3 French ain't all that hard, it's just feminizing the words and making them plural is what gets ya... and I'm a girl. So I HAVE to do all that feminizing crap.

**Referee:** Aww, thanks so much :D That means alot, _really!_ 'Cause I SUCK at writing xD Or so I think... hmm, whatever. Anyway, the web of romances are a PAIN to keep up with. I'm always wondering, "Wait, did Marth say this?" "Who is Ike going to sleep with tonight?" "Pit needs to spend more time with Link" "I need to add another MarthXRoy chapter" and stuff like that. So yes, keeping up with all the boys is tough work. (Ike could be paired with ANYONE. He's like... poly-pairable... xD) YES! They finally got caught! Gosh, I was waiting for that. The next chapter is going to be so fun to write... ;D You don't believe in Pit SEME-NESS?! -becomes sad- I hope you're happy that Choice B won... -stops moping- Just kidding! COOKIE FOR YOU! -gives rainbow m&m cookie- _I'm runnin' out of these..._

**Yukina99:** "_And Marth...I just wanna throw him off a cliff... D:_" Don't we all? He's not being a very good best friend... and Ike isn't being a good boyfriend, either. Pit is the only one Link deserves, so I agree with ya on that one :D I am sorry that Choice A did not win... but Pit will become seme somehow... Hokage will make sure of it.

**Ernoma:** Very smart to read piece by piece. I figured that I killed the mood when I put that line in xD I just had to interrupt, couldn't resist xD Choice B has won... It was a shock to me, too. I was all like, "NNNOOOOOOOES! I ALREADY HAD THE LINES WRITTEN THAT PIT WAS GONNA SAY TO LINK DURING THEIR FIRST TIME AND _EVERYTHING!_" Eh, but what can ya do? People wanna see LinkXPit, I gotta give it to 'em.

**Mel:** I like the way you think. Link and Pit... Both become ukes? That would be very difficult to write. At least for me it would. Link is treating him like a little brother? Hmm... I expected to give off the "friend" kinda vibe. BUT THAT'S NOT A BAD THING TO FEEL THAT WAY! And yes, he does seem to grow (did he grow in this chapter, I wonder?) :3 -huggles Pit doll- :DDDDDDDD

**NyoChan:** I believe it was you who made Choice B the victor -Choice A voters send glares of doom upon you- Haa haa, juuuuust kidding. LOL. YOU HAD ME ROLLING WITH THE WHOLE "_Even though Pit's English Brawl voice brings him up on the "seme chart" a little higher_" THING! xDDD "Seme chart"?! -rolls-

Pit: -frowns at his ukeness-

Me: _Aww! It's okay!_ -pats back-

You have french, too?! I'm in french one, the lowest level. But I just started, so... Again, I couldn't resist interrupting xD

**Rayestar Ikina:** I shall definitely find them O m O Uggh, Shakespeare. I hate that bastard! WHY THE HELL COULDN'T HE HAVE WRITTEN NORMAL ENGLISH LIKE EVERY ONE ELSE! Just kidding. I've only read Romeo and Juliet so far. This year, we're doing Julius Caesar... D: I don't like him. Something tells me he's going to bring all kinds of hell to my English grade. Yes, the little angel catches them. And finally, the moment all of you have been waiting for, the chapter where Ike is finally caught with his hands stuck in the cookie jar. Marth gonna have some s'plainin' to do, too. Alot of s'plainin'... Excuse my slang... xD

**The Mad Joker:** Lol, yes. I blame my lack of having nothing to do for my long chapters. I just sit in my thinking chair and come up with all sorts of stuff (Yes, I have a thinking chair... it's pink and furry. Comfortable, too. Gah, I'm rambling.) Link has to catch him. I mean, Ike can't be a manwhore for his entire life without getting caught (well, he probably could, but not while he's with _my_ Linky... he can try that shit on Marth). Will Ike be alone? Or will Link take him back? Or will he end up with Marth? Then who the hell is Roy going to have? _Heh heeeeh..._ I shall leave you hanging on that one. _OH!_ And I understand what you mean! Dominant uke is something that Link and Pit would be... I was going to write the whole Link catching them on the bed with Moby, but then I came up with a better idea. You will have to see in chapter eleven, the most dreaded chapter of all.

**Midnight Crystal Sage:** EIGHTY-NINE?! SERIOUSLY? Hmm... well I can't lie. I _am_ curious. I _might_ read some... but I probably won't like it. And if I find one where Ike rapes Pit, then I shall never read another. EVER again. I like Link with Pit better. I congratulate you on being the only one to write Pit as seme... -bows-

..._**It is time**_.

It is time for Ike and Marth to become exposed.

It is time for Link to realize what his boyfriend has been doing expertly behind his back for the past year and one-quarter.

It is time for Pit to wipe Link's tears away.

_It is time for Roy to bring his ass back and clean up the mess he made...!_

Why does it feel like I'm making a movie?

_**Next Chapter...**_ A **MarthXRoy** flashback! Link dresses up for his love in the most embarrassing attire, serving him breakfast in bed as an apology for the big fight the night before. But what happens when Link finds Ike—_not in his bed_—but in someone _else's...?_

Chapter might come in a little late. Have your tissues ready, people.

A review for a sadist?

:D

Much Love,

HokageAkamaru


	13. Black Lie: Busted

Title: A Lover's Brawl

Pairing(s): **IkeXLink**,** IkeXMarth**, Eventual** MarthXRoy**, Eventual** PitXLink**

Rating: M

**Full Story:** _Link has always been the quiet, shy type. That is… until Ike came into his life. Since then, Ike and Link have been an inseparable item ever since they've laid eyes on each other. Marth, coping with his broken heart after the disappearance of his very own lover—Roy—had secretly loved Ike from the beginning. But it was too late, Link was the only one on Ike's mind._

_With his seductive powers and body, he lures Ike to him, the both of them sharing many nights together. And ever since, Ike has not been able to let him—nor his delicious shape—go. Link is totally unaware of this, Ike constantly lying to him about his whereabouts to protect he and his prince's relationship. With whole-hearted trust, Link believes every single word._

_Marth wants a fully committed relationship with Ike—tired of hiding it—and he will do anything to get it, even if that means hurting one of the people that he loves the most._

_But there is one more person that complicates this plot._

_Someone who watches his crush from afar._

_(This story takes place after Super Smash Brother's Melee, the reason why Roy is "missing")_

**A/N:** Yo. I apologize for the late update... I wanted to upload the chapter before Thanksgiving, but I was battling a stubborn cold that **did not** want to go away. My allergies start bitching during the fall/winter, too, and if I don't take my medicine—_which I didn't, heh heeeh_—s'not pretty.

Plus I went to Granny's house; her computer is ancient.

Anyway, another reason why it took so long is because I took my time with this chapter, and I had other important school stuff to do, like bringing my grades up. _Baah_, eigo-sensei (my English teacher) is draining me of my yaoi energy with her damned essays!! Yes, I have yaoi energy. It's similar to _Bleach_'s "spiritual pressure" and _Naruto_'s "chakra" in case you're wondering C: But enough of my meaningless school/life troubles/excuses... But I'm doing good so far.

_**Thank you**_ for the **alerts/reviews/favorites** and all that good stuff. They make me really happy x3 I hope that you will continue to enjoy more of this (_horribly_-_written_) story, and others that I plan to write in the near future (xDDD)

I do my best.

**-bow-**

_Oh!_ And your **MarthXRoy**ness that I promised! I_ really_ like how it turned out, and I think you will, too! Shows you a little more of their shadowy relationship, ne? And I don't know Roy's actual birthday (Does he even have an established birthday?). Tried looking for it, but nothing came up... _excuse my inaccuracies._ But wouldn't it be like... 600 something? - 3- Not sure about FE's dates/times... although I_ have_ watched some of the episodes and they scarcely mentioned any dates Dx 'Can't say I didn't try.

Eh, I'm a failure of a human being anyway :DDD

**IkeXLink**,** IkeXMarth**, **MarthXRoy **and _some_ **LinkXRoy**.

Depends on how you look at it.

**PitXLink**ness (in _**that**_ order xD) in the next chapter. _Sorrrrry folks_.

Gomen for the mistakes, **a lot of** **words,** and last but not least... Enjoy Chapter Eleven.

…If you can_,_ _fu fu_.

* * *

_February 14… 11:12 p.m._

_The way that I imagined Valentines Day would turn out did not exactly go as planned. The most romantic day of the year… the day when lovers take a little time out of their day to show how much they love and appreciate their significant other. They go out to dinner, or watch a film together, hey, some even get married. But… what would you do if your lover forgot the most important day for couples? Wouldn't that devastate you? Wouldn't it break your heart? _

_It certainly broke mine… but as always, Marth made up for it as best he could..._

_Flashback…_

Roy flipped a pancake into the air; it performed numerous, clean flips. Then landed back into his pan, the swordsman pleased to see the tan of the heart-shaped pastry. That was the last one he made out of a_ thousand_.

Roy really got into the Valentines Day spirit. He had been waiting for this day for _ages.._. He arose early in the morning kissing his sleeping beauty's face and begging him to get out of bed… Marth stuffed his face into his pillow, groaned like a mummy, and turned on his side to fall back into his dream world. Doing that gave the redhead just enough time to get things ready. He decided to cook a _huge_ Valentines breakfast for them—enough to feed an army—a red, pink and white apron clung to his sides, catching all his messes and spills. He sang and twirled around in his dorm as he fetched sugar, bowls, spoons… All of the necessary materials to prepare the biggest and most important meal of the day.

"Good Morning, couch!"

"Good Morning, oven!"

"Good Morning to you, too, fuzzy slippers!"

It was strange why he chose to pick non-living, inanimate objects to bid his greetings to...

_Alright! Breakfast is almost done… Marth's presents are all on the table… Link should be over soon…_

Sighing with a smile, Roy placed strips of thick bacon into another pan.

_I wonder what Marth got me for Valentines Day! Maybe he'll surprise me with flowers, or—or chocolates! Or a pretty card! Or a teddy bear or—Ah—A ring! _

There was a knock at the door.

_That must be Link!_

Roy danced to the door, flinging it wide open, "_Hellooooo~!_"

A fluffy, red teddy bear bearing red hearts on its huge, white tummy greeted him. Link peeked from behind his gift to his friend, smiling.

"Good Morning, Roy. Happy Valentines Day! _This is for you_…"

The blonde handed him the large bear, the other swordsman nearly snatching it out of his clutches.

"_Wah!_ He's so big! Thank you, Link! _Come in!_"

By request, Link entered the room, sniffing the warm air.

"_Ah_… Valentines Day breakfast for Marth?"

Roy was having a hard time finding a place for his new bear whom he named Betelgeuse, which wasn't a very common name, even for a stuffed animal.

"_Mmhm!_ And for you if you'd like some!"

"No… I wouldn't want to eat Marth's food."

"_Psssh_. Do you see all the food I've made?! You think Marth and I are going to eat all that?! And you know how strict he is with his '_figure'_—Ah! Link?! Can you flip the bacon for me?!"

"_Sure_."

Roy stuck Betelgeuse in a corner; his new gift reminded him of something. He scurried into his closet, digging around for the pink box tied with a lacy, red bow inside holding thirty-two fancy chocolates.

"I got you something, too! They're sure to satisfy your sweet tooth! _Heads up!_"

The box became a blur in the air as it soared across the room towards Link direction like a flying disk. He jumped slightly to catch it, reading the fancy printing on the golden sticker…

"_Miss Charlotte's Exclusive Gourmet Chocolates"_

_**32 Flavors**_

"_Ahh!!_"

There was a girlish scream; one that Link would regret later.

"_This is—!_ _This is my favorite brand!_"

"_Yeah, and it burned a hole in my pocket_…"

Link embraced him wholly, smiling, "_Thank you so much, Roy!_"

"You're welcome, buddy! Don't eat them all in one day, though_._"

"I won't. _I've learned my lesson..." _he briefly recalled the night he spent sleeping near the toilet, "what did you get Marth?"

Roy pointed to the table, "I got him roses, lots of candy, a card that I made, a kit of his favorite make-up brand, a teddy bear, a gift card, a set of exotic shampoos, some fruity-scented perfumes—_he doesn't like cologne which is odd in itself_—and a couple of sparkly stickers… Marth _loves_ sparkly stickers."

"_Wow_…" the blonde commented as Roy desperately inhaled, "You really went all out."

"I have another special gift for him, too, but I'm saving thatfor_ tonight_…"

Roy winked to his friend who rivaled pomegranates, chuckling darkly.

"_You mean_… You and Marth... You are going to…?"

"I really want to… We've been lovers for quite a while, and I love him so much... I would _really_ like to show him that…"

Link tapped his chin...

"This is a major step you're taking… _You know that, right?_ Are you sure that you're ready—that_ both_ of you are ready for something as serious as... _sex?_"

"_I-I am!_ I'm not so sure about Marth, though…"

"It would be wise to sit down and talk to him about that… Just to make sure he's totally comfortable with—"

"—What smells so yummy?"

Roy and Link turned their heads. Marth stood under the door way, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. The redhead flew across the room, landing on his royal lover.

"_HAPPY VALENTINES DAY, MA-RU-SUUU!_"

"IT'S VALENTINES DAY?!"

The prince looked at the calendar suspending from the wall he was pressed upon.

_"February 14th"_

A big, red heart encircled the date.

"_Ah—! Um—!_ I'm sorry, Roy! I… I totally forgot!"

The redheaded swordsman blinked. He felt like he had just been stabbed in the heart. Months and months of looking forward to this day since he and Marth declared their love for another, and he gets told that he "totally forgot"? How could you "_forget_" the most _romantic _day of the year? He disguised his disappointment with a forced smile.

_Looks like I won't be getting any chocolates… or teddy bears… or romantic cards…_

"It's okay…! _Uh… _I got you some gifts!"

Link set them near the monarch; there was a squeal of joy that split a pair of pointed ears.

"_WAH!_ SPARKLY STICKERS?! ROSES?! CANDY?! A TEDDY BEAR?! ALL OF THIS IS FOR ME?!"

Roy nodded, happy to see the pleased smile on his lips, but it didn't take much to satisfy him.

_Who cares if I didn't get anything… They're just material things… It's all about giving, right? Being generous? Isn't that the true spirit of Valentines Day…?_

...More like Christmas if you'd ask me.

"I also got you a little something, too, Marth…"

Link left Roy's dorm for a moment and then returned with a small, animal crate.

"I walked by Peach's vegetable garden this morning…" the blonde spoke as he undid the lock, "…the little guy followed me in (1)."

Marth stood up from the floor, holding all of the goodies that his lover bought him.

"_What is it?_"

Link closed the metal door.

"Please don't make too much noise… he's a little jumpy," he whispered, petting whatever was residing in his left arm. Slowly, he turned to face his best friends. There—round, white, and with a little, red bow tie tied safely around its neck—was a small rabbit with shiny, onyx eyes, moving its whiskers at a frantic pace.

Marth dropped Roy's gifts, transforming into a frightening zombie.

"_Bunny_."

The prince gawked at his favorite mammal as if he had never encountered one before—which he probably hadn't. Gentleness wasn't his nature. Link didn't like the look in his azure eyes. He knew where that look alone would lead to. His love for rabbits came second to the love he had for his partner, the blonde coming a close third.

Marth extended his arms like a robot.

"_Bunny_."

"Marth, please be gentle with him."

He came closer.

"_Bunny_…"

Link backed away…

He had a bad feeling about letting the prince hold the rabbit. Whenever he got excited at the mere sight of his mate or Link, he'd tackle them and virtually squeeze their intestines out. The archer imagined what he'd do to the poor animal… and he wasn't in the mood for helping disposing of rabbit intestines.

Roy pat his lover's back, "Marth, sweetie, make sure you don't hurt him—"

"—_BUNNY!_" the impatient prince whined like a toddler, pouting his lips. Link sighed, giving the bunny his regards as he gave him up to the prince. To the other to swordsmen's astonishment, the prince maturely cradled his arms as he received his gift…

"_Aww!_ _So cute! I love him!_ Thank you, Link! And you too, Roy, for my gifts!"

"You're welcome," Roy hopped onto his toes, kissing his nose.

"You are very welcome, Marth, but… there is one thing about—"

"—_I shall name you Cuddlesworth!_ You and I will have lots of fun together!"

"Marth… _you can't keep him_."

The prince looked as if he was going to cry. Before he could do anything rash, Link took the rabbit from his friend, bouncing it lightly in his arms to comfort it.

"_Wh… Why not?!_"

"Well, he—_Cuddlesworth_—belongs in his natural habitat. He's not a domestic animal, and he needs lots of room to get his required exercise. You can play with him outside, of course. But keeping him inside isn't the best choice..."

Marth shook an angry fist, "Damn you, Link! Damn you and your—_your nature-conservative attitude!_"

_Breakfast…_

Roy fixed Marth's plate first and then Link's before he served himself. They held lively conversations as they ate—the young prince a little fussy about the blonde not allowing him to keep _his_ rabbit in _his_ dorm… but there was nothing a couple kisses from his sweetheart couldn't fix. He'd eventually get over the whole ordeal, finding something else that he couldn't have to obsess over.

The prince scrambled through one of his gift bags Roy'd showered him with…

"_Uwah!_"

He somehow overlooked the enormous card protruding from his spacious, red bag.

"Roy?! You made this yourself?!"

His calligraphy was beautiful, white lace bordered the sides, it even smelled nice.

"_Uh huh._"

Marth opened the card, reading the short poem that was neatly written to himself:

_Take me to your unknown land,_

_Kiss my lips, and hold my hand._

_Caress me gingerly, treasure me so, _

_For love awaits us, its journey, we'll go._

_- Roy_

"..._The poem_. It's horrible, isn't it? It was sort of a last minute thing..."

"_No!_ It's beautiful! I wish I could write something as wonderful as this!"

"_You're just saying that because you don't want to hurt my feelings_..."

"Well—_regardless of what you think_—I love it, and I'll treasure it always."

Marth gently kissed his forehead, flashing him that prince-y sort of smile, "_Happy Valentines Day, Roy_. You could have anyone in the world, and how lucky of me to have been the one you chose."

Link felt all warm and toasty as he took part in witnessing his two friends share a passionate kiss.

_As I watch their love grow each day, I cannot help but wonder how amazing it must feel to… experience love._

The swordsmen continued to eat...

"Do _you_ have anyone special in mind this year, Link?"

"Hmm…? _Special?_" he grinned, "I have you two."

Roy giggled, "_Noooo!_"

"We mean, like… _very _special."

The blonde cocked his head.

"'_Very_ _special_'?"

"_YES!_" Marth and Roy hollered in unison, "_Very Special!_"

Marth spoke in a hushed tone…

"_You know…_ That one special woman, or…" he looked back at Roy, sniggering, "_…man._"

Link dropped his fork, his face as red as his best friend's locks. The couple nearly tipped over in their chairs as they slapped their knees and snickered, eating the cute reaction up like cake. Link wasn't homosexual… at least, that's what he kept telling himself. Marth had caught him man, many times staring blankly at some of the male fans in the stadium throughout the day. The prince later asked his blonde amigo if he had taken interest in one of them and if he could set something up. But the archer would fiercely reject the offer, claiming that he "didn't swing that way".

The cackles died down.

"_No!_ There is no special woman and there _most definitely_ is _not _a special man! And I really don't mind that. I'm very content with being single," Link retorted.

"Aww, _C'mon Link!_ Don't you ever wonder what it's like to be in love?" Roy questioned, he and Marth briefly gazing into one another's beautiful, robin-egg blue eyes, linking their fingers underneath the table.

Like, five seconds ago.

"_S-Sometimes_… but—"

"—_Which is why we set up a blind date for you!_"

Link fell out of his chair.

"You did _what?!_"

"His name's Hiroshi! You'll like him; he's really cute, too! And I know how much you like _bluenettes!_" sugar-coated the prince, waving a finger in his blonde friend's face. If it had lingered a few seconds longer, Link would've bitten it off.

The redhead smiled, nodding.

"But—But I'm not—!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah… '_I'm as straight as an arrow_'. I think this date will help you! You know, with your... _curiosity,_" Roy purred.

"He's taking you out to the movies! He'll pick you up sometime after... _What was it, honey?_"

"Five o' clock."

The tips of his pointy ears were an unmistakable, bright red.

_I can't believe these two! _

"We just want you to get out a little more. You'll have fun with Hiroshi! And just because you're going on a date doesn't mean that you two have to_ kiss_ or anything like that… Just enjoy yourselves!" Roy explained stroked his flustered friend's knee in a comforting manner.

"'_Enjoy myself'_…" Link mimicked quietly.

_Hours Later…_

"No… No… _NO!_"

"_Yes! Yes! YES!_"

Marth's "kart"—driven by King Boo—crossed the finish line first, Link a split second late.

"_No!_"

"_Woohoo!_ Alright! First place,_ again!_ How many times was that, now? _Twenty-five?_"

Link threw down the Wii wheel, flicking an angry, accusing finger towards the prince's direction.

"_You cheated!_"

Marth crossed his legs and placed a hand upon his chest, suddenly offended, "I didn't cheat. _I won fair and square!_"

"_Glitches_, Marth! _You used glitches!_"

Marth crossed his arms, "I only used the _Mega Mushroom_ glitch…"

"_And_ the _Star_ glitch, and the _Golden Mushroom_ glitch, and the _Bullet Bill_ glitch—!"

"—_Alright, alright!_ So I used a couple glitches, _big deal._ That still doesn't change that fact that I _kicked your ass!_"

The Hyrulean's balled fists were shaking at his sides. He picked up the thrown wheel, declaring, "_Rematch._ No glitches. Then we'll see who kicks whose ass in a_ fair_ race."

The young prince smirked, shrugging his shoulders.

"_Alright!_"

_Now I know why Roy doesn't like playing with him…_

Link looked over to the remote table where the other swordsman sat in the dark, writing who knows what. He seemed to be a little… lonely.

_Lonely_… On a Valentines Day. When he had a lover.

"_Hello?!_ Link! Choose your character!"

"Hey, _um_, let's see if Roy wants to play."

Marth rolled his sapphires, simpering. He lowered his voice...

"Roy doesn't like playing video games with me... _Watch_—Honey?" the prince called.

"...Yes?"

"Wanna play _Mario Kart_ with Link and I?"

"No thanks."

"Alright—_See?! I like playing with you_. _Don't worry, he's not very good anyway._"

Link sighed, selecting Toad from the long list of characters—he adored the little mushroom guy—and chose his preferred kart.

_...They should be spending time together... I hope Roy doesn't feel that I'm keeping him away from Marth._

Soft knocks rung out at Marth's door.

"_Oh!_ That must be Hiroshi! Right on time, too!"

Link groaned. The prince hobbled to his door, peering through the peep hole... on his toes.

"Yep, that's him alright! _Ouu!_ And he brought flowers for you, Linky! _How sweet!_ I knew I chose the right guy!"

He twisted the knob, opening the barrier.

"Hello, there Hiro! _Link!! Come over here!!_" the prince hissed, gesturing.

Another groan. The blonde fixed his clothes and neatly ruffled his hair as he approached the tall, midnight-blue haired man. He smiled at Link...

Marth was right...

_He's... cute, I guess. Hold on... What am I saying?_

Hiro grinned, "Hello. Nice to finally meet you in person, Link. I—uhh—got these for you."

He gave up the bouquet of white chrysanthemums—Link's most favorite flowers despite their negative connotation to death—to his blushing date.

"_Wow_... Umm... They're very nice."

"Your favorite, right?"

The blonde blinked, _how did he know?!_ Marth must have told him this private bit of information.

"Yes... _M-My favorite_. Thank you, Hiroshi."

"You're welcome. _And please, _just call me 'Hiro'."

"Oh... Okay, _Hiro_."

"_That's better_."

The prince was squealing in the background like a pig, watching the chemistry forming between the two men...

...If there really was any.

"I should put these in some water—"

"_No! Let me do it! You should get going!_"

Marth stripped his best friend of his precious flowers, looking around for a vase. Hiro glanced at his shiny watch.

"_Yeah..._ The movie starts in fifteen minutes, takes at least ten to get there."

Link stared at his exposed toes...

_It's just a date, it's just a date, it's just a silly, meaningless date. We're only acquaintances for the night... Nothing more._

"You're my favorite fighter, you know. Second to Marth, of course."

The cobalt-haired individual smiled appreciatively as he poured fresh water into a clear vase that he dug up from somewhere. Link didn't know what to say... He reddened a little, pressing his lips into a hard line before they shriveled up into a funny-looking smile.

"..._Thanks?_"

Hiro laughed... "Heh, _cute_."

"Please take good care of Linky!" Marth stood on his toes, whispering into his friend's date's ear, "_He's never been on a date with a man before—well, I'm pretty sure he's never been on a date at all, but—be patient with him! He's really sweet yet quick to get a temper! Oh... and don't tell him that I told you this: Link likes it when you rub his scalp! He makes these irresistibly-cute sounds! They're absolutely adorable!_"

"_Thanks for the tips_... And no need to worry, _he's in good hands_."

Link hoped that his date did not mean that _literally,_ too. Hiroshi opened the door, allowing the blonde to exit before himself.

"Bye bye, you two! _Have fun!_ _Remember what I said, Hiro!_"

The archer poked his head through the door just before it shut, a confused look reflected his emotions as he mouthed to his royal friend, "What 'tips'?"

Marth winked, giggling.

"_Have fun, Link!_"

Link poked his lips, slamming the door. The prince pretended to wipe a tear from his eye as he sniffled...

"_I feel like a father giving the groom his only daughter!_"

Out of the blue came a frustrated groan. Roy balled up his paper, and chucked it far across the dorm, tapping his ballpoint pen against his noggin. His lover noticed his peculiar behavior, naturally becoming worried. The prince hurried to the redhead's side, rubbing his back as he lowered his voice.

"Hey, honey. _You alright?_"

Roy folded his arms on the table and stuffed his head into the nest they made, avoiding eye contact with the noble.

_I had to throw a paper ball to get your attention...? Why didn't I think of that sooner?_

"_M'fine_," he grouched.

"But... You don't seem 'fine' to me."

...No reply.

"Did I do something to upset you, Roy?"

"A little."

At least he was honest.

"Is it about not spending very much time with you today?"

"..."

Marth sighed.

_Instead of playing video games with Link, I should've been with Roy doing something that he enjoyed... I... I see what Link was trying to say now. He asked Roy if he wanted to play so we could... Maybe I'm not so good in this whole "relationship" thing after all. Valentines Day is almost over, too!_

"Roy, I'm... I'm a big, _stupid, selfish meanie!_"

The crimson-haired swordsman shot up.

"I'm really sorry if you thought that I was avoiding you! _I really wasn't!_ I just... _Hey!_ Let's go to the boardwalk and get some ice cream!"

Roy perked in his chair.

"...Ice cream?"

He liked ice cream.

"Mmhm! I'll treat you to whatever you'd like!"

"_O-Okay! I-I'll go get my jacket!_"

Roy hopped up, but Marth snagged his hand in the nick of time.

"Roy?"

"Huh?"

"_...I love you_."

And that was a promise.

_Boardwalk..._

"One jumbo-sized ice cream cone, please!"

"Sure, deary. What flavor?"

"Strawberry!"

The old woman smiled at the prince, whom she found simply adorable.

"Coming right up!"

The shorter swordsman tugged on the prince's sleeve like a little child.

"Hmm?"

"Thank you... I'll make sure to pay you back whenever I can."

Marth smiled, patting his head.

"You don't have to pay me back, sweetheart. But if you insist, I'll take kisses instead of cash."

Roy blushed as his prince charming pecked his cherry-red lips, "Only four more dollars to go."

"_Here you are_... Enjoy your ice cream!"

Marth received the waffle cone from the kind, old lady, amazed at how spirally beautiful the pink icing settled into the shell. He passed it like a torch to his lover who received it with sparkling eyes.

"For you!" He smiled.

"_Wow_..." he licked the top, the cutest smile on his lips, "_Yum!_ I don't think I can eat it all, though... _It's an awful lot._"

"Oh? _Then I'll help_..."

There was an empty bench which faced the shore line of a crystal beach. The blazing sun set on the horizon; not many people were around considering it was still very chilly out in mid-February and that summer had ended long ago. But Marth wasn't complaining, he liked the privacy... it was romantic enough.

"Let's sit here!"

He threaded their fingers, dragging a blushing Roy behind him. The two swordsmen snuggled to close to one another to share warmth, the redhead offering his prince a lick. He smiled handsomely, grazing the tip of his tongue up the creamy mountain of thoughtfully-churned, blossom-pink cream.

Roy took care of the left side, taking shy, quick licks, avoiding his partner's eyes, which was pointless with them sharing the same ice cream cone. Whenever the two cerulean pupils did meet, the pair would chuckle lightly, squeezing their connected hands. With the two of them working as a team, they finished the boardwalk snack, nibbling all the way down to the point of the waffle cone.

"You know…" Marth started, resting his head onto the young swordsman's shoulder, "…before, I really didn't like strawberry ice cream. But it's not bad, actually. It's kind of…"

Roy felt his hand being squeezed.

"…_Sweet_."

Marth looked up; Roy met his gaze...

It was as if time stopped for the both of them.

_End Flashback..._

_Marth wanted to get his feet wet, so we were the only idiots splashing around in the middle of freezing-cold February. He dragged me out to shore and—literally—threw me into the bay, disregarding the cries of my not-so-good swimming abilities. To my horror, I was swept off my feet and into a rip tide. I drowned—I think, can't quite remember—but Marth rescued me… using CPR._

_...Eee. If only I were conscious._

_We returned to the manor, Marth nearly burning my entire dorm down cooking what he called "soup" after I started to sneeze. He spoon fed me the… err… atypical concoction… forcing me to stay in bed for the rest of the day. I could tell that he was really sorry for putting me through so much… Link later burst in, yelling that he had almost gotten raped by Hiro or something… I don't remember. I do, however, recall staring endlessly into my lover's eyes…_

_His beautiful face alone drowned out Link's screeching… and the disdainful taste of the stew in my mouth._

_Ah… He's yelling at me now, telling me to get some rest._

_Yours Truly, _

_Roy_

_P.S. I was so close to bringing up the "sex" topic with Marth!! But I was given another mouthful of soup before I could finish my statement… I'll try again tomorrow. _

_If I'm well. _

_I think there's a rock in my stomach._

_P.P.S. Poor thing, Marth didn't take the releasing of Cuddlesworth too well... maybe I'll buy him a stuffed rabbit._

xXx

Ike couldn't get a word in.

Link—without any sort of warning whatsoever—walked to the mansion as Marth tried his best to defend Ike, ignoring their pleas to her them out.

"_Link!! Please stop!_"

"_Why?_ So you can tell me more lies?" he spat angrily while climbing the shiny stairs—taking two at a time.

"Please listen to us! _It's not his fault!_"

It wasn't 'til they reached his dorm when they would hold a decent conversation, Marth excluded. Before Link coldly slammed the door in his face, he had a little something that he wanted to say to his '_friend_'.

"_Link_—"

"—And you_ dare_ to call yourself my 'best friend'? A best friend does not lie to his best friend's face as if he were some gullible _fool,_" the archer spat, fighting the tears in his eyes.

…_The scowl on his face, the darkness in his voice… I've never seen him so angry before_.

_And at me…_

"But… But w-we _are_ best friends, Link…"

"_Best friends don't give their best friend's boyfriend hickeys, either_. Would you have liked it if _I_ put hickeys all over_ Roy's_ neck? And there were _many_ opportunities for me to do so."

If such a thing ever did happen while the infamous redhead was still there, the prince would decapitate Link's head and play baseball with it, using a spiked club for a bat.

"_N-No_."

"You would've gotten very angry with me, am I right?"

"Yes…"

"_That's how I feel. _It's a very sensual act, and I'm _not_ happy with finding ones on Ike's body—"

"—And I am_ sorry, _Link!But_ please—!_"

"I know you are. _Don't touch my boyfriend_."

_**Slam.**_

xXx

"—But you _lied!_ _That's the bottom line!_ Those weren't _fucking_ mosquito bites and you _knew it!_ Those marks were made by Marth's fucking _teeth!_ What do you take me for?! _A fool?! Is that what you think I am?!_ _Why did you lie to me?!_"

"Because you would get upset! _Like this!_"

"_And I should get upset!_ Marth has _no_ right to be_ biting_ you and _sucking_ at your neck if he's only your_ friend! _I wonder what other marks he's made…"

Ike bit his lip, scratched the nape of his neck, and glanced over to his lover's threatening, electric eyes. Link lingered in his for sometime… then his shirt.

"Remove your shirt."

"—What?"

"I didn't stutter. _Remove your shirt_."

"…Why?"

"_Take of the blouse_, Ike! I don't _need_ a fucking _reason!_" snarled the short blonde.

_He's hiding something from me… I can feel it. But I thought… we were always open with each other? That we shared everything together…?_

…_I guess I thought wrong._

And Ike knew he sincerely meant it by the startling, unfitting look in his glazed orbs.

_Oh no… Oh no, oh no, oh no_.

Marth—who was tuning into their conversation from the other side of the door—suffered a bad case of hyperventilation. Minor tremors rocked his lithe body with what he thought was anticipation, but in actuality turned out to be _fear_. Fear for himself… Fear and sympathy for Ike… But most importantly, did he take off his shirt yet? What was Link's facial expression like? His mind was filled to capacity with these thoughts... He was barred from seeing what was going on, but the silence assured him that whatever was going to happen next wasn't going to be good. If Ike discarded his shirt, his best friend—the man that he went through so much with, the man that was there for him during the tough, trying times—would be devastated at the discovery of his countless love bites—old and new—planted all over his boyfriend's peachy torso… obviously from the nights of their love-making and part of this morning's foreplay. _But what beautiful nights they were..._

Similar thoughts skid across the mercenary's mind as he contemplated over revealing his body to his infuriated love—which—in polar circumstances—he wouldn't have a problem doing so. With his eyes, he penetrated past Link's thick shell and saw the delicate, meager Link who was shriveled into a little ball, and how frightened he was. How hurt he would be to find all of these… _informative_ bites—by his best friend, the person he trusted, possibly even more than him—scattered across his upper body. He didn't want to hurt him anymore than he already had, but he knew immediately that this was unavoidable with the tart mood the blonde was in. But if he kept his shirt on, it would give Link the message that he was keeping something away from him that he did not want him to know. It was too late for that, which was very unfortunate for him…

"I don't think this is necessary—"

"—_Take_. _It_._ Off_."

_That_ would've been sexier if Link didn't have the dreaded desire to behead him. Ike sighed, having no other choice but to give into his command…

_It can't end like this…_

The taller man fingered the hems of his thin undergarment and saffron-yellow tee.

…_I will not allow it._

The blouses were shed in sort of a strip tease style, Ike tossing them to the hardwood floor. What was commonly an arousing, sinful sight for the short, little blonde, he felt anything but those feelings as he stared in shock at his mate's bare chest. Why, Doctor Mario himself would think it was severe chicken pox. But those irregular shaped scars were far from the childhood disease; Link's tummy lurched because of it. His baby blues darted from love bite to love bite, "connecting the dots". Some were red, and others were much older and faded, advising the shorter man that "_this_" had been going on for quite a while... whatever "_this_" was. The indigo-haired man's low riding jeans showcased more bites close to his waist line, one peeking just above his belt.

That meant there had to be more down _there_, as well.

Link was not expecting so many…

"What the… _What the fuck is this? _What am I looking at, Ike?"

"I-It's—"

"—_Marth_. He made all of these…? _Every single one?_"

"But—"

"—_Oh God_," Link nearly sobbed abruptly, bending over. He was unexpectedly hit with a painful revelation, "Ike…? _Are you… Are you_ _fucking him?_"

"—_Ah!_ _NO!_"

He tried to sound convincing; he was doing a pretty good job.

"_Stop lying to me..._"

"_I'm not lying to you!_ I'm not _'fucking'_ Marth!"

Ike's own words stabbed him right in his heart. Why was it becoming so increasingly painful to lie to his blonde? He was digging himself an even more deeper ditch; the more lies he told, the more trouble he'd get into whenever Link found out the truth about him and his affair with His Highness… and the more bigger the chunk of trust he'd lose.

Link stepped up to him, piercing Ike's eyes as he sliced his way into this soul, seeking the truth he so eagerly wanted to find. He wanted to believe him, he wanted to take his word, but with all the evidence that unraveled before his very own eyes…_ it was hard_. Surely Marth's tender nibbles of affection like the ones left on Ike's chest would've led to something more; it always does in most situations. Plus, Ike was the horniest bastard Link had ever met.

The petite male turned away, blinking a little more than usual, taking a couple paces away from his indigo-haired love as he sat alone on his bed…

There was a moment of chilling silence; it was _never _a good sign when Link was quiet.

_Am I… not enough for him? Am I not doing something right? _

_Why would Marth…? Why would Ike…? _

…_Why in general?_

Ike gulped. He didn't know what to do at this point, much less what to say. But it wasn't like Link was going to listen to him, anyway. The best he could do now was to simply assure the archer that absolutely nothing _sexual_ happened between him and his friend—which was obviously a lie—chant a couple of sweet, meaningless promises to ease him up and _pray_ that he would not go along with what he just saw… The success ratio of that did not look so good. Ike nervously gnawed on his swollen lip, groaning as he thought of numerous phrases he could possibly get by with, when suddenly, he heard a faint, disguised sniffle. He turned toward the hunched Link; his pointed ears drooped like a sad kitten's…

"…_I'm not good enough for you? Is that it? Is that what you're trying to tell me? Is Marth doing a better job at giving you what you want than I am? Am I not satisfying you?_"

"_Link…_"

Ike_—_attentive_—_accompanied his lover, giving him some space as he watched him stroke his glistening ring, apparently not wanting to make much needed eye contact. He wasn't crying, that's for sure. Link was stronger than that. Way stronger; it took _a lot_ to make him break down into tears.

Hopefully _this_ wasn't "_a lot_".

"…It's _nothing_ like that. _I…_"

Ike reached out to pet Link's shoulder—a bold move at a time like this—but was harshly rejected with three, affirmative words:

"_Don't touch me_."

…And he didn't.

"_I—_"

"—Get out."

"…_What?_"

"You're lying to me. _Get out_."

He sounded very composed.

"Link, I'm not lying—!"

"_Get out_, Ike! _GEDDOUT, GEDDOUT, GEDDOUT!_" Link cried with a raspy voice, pointing his index finger to the wooden door.

"But—"

"_LEAVE!_"

"_WHY WON'T YOU BELIEVE ME?!_"

"_BECAUSE_—_BECAUSE I CAN'T TRUST YOU ANYMORE!_"

Ike's internal organs free-falled.

"I-I thought I could, but... _Please_… _Just… Just go away._ I don't want to see your face…"

The Hyrulean inclined over even more, a hand hiding the rest of his face from the man he loved, the man he thought he could trust. Ike figured that he should do something, but what? Link didn't want him to touch him, he wouldn't listen to a word he said… what else was there to do?

And just like that…

Ike gave up, throwing in the white towel.

Without speaking, the mercenary collected his shirts and exited casually, the door closing Link's cue to release the air he had unknowingly been saving.

Nothing else was said between them for the rest of the afternoon.

xXx

Link spent the remainder of his resting day cooped in his dorm, sulking over the earlier events… He ate almost two and a half small bowls of vanilla ice cream, seeking comfort as he licked the china clean. It isn't exactly healthy drowning your sorrows with a frozen treat destined to give you nothing but a belly ache and an unattractive stomach… opposed to advice and support. But Link thought that it was worth the two-hundred sit ups he'd have to do.

The more ice cream he stuffed into the hole in his face, the more horrible and useless he felt… it was doing the polar opposite of what he thought it would do. That was to make him feel better. Moby's plastic, obsidian eyes stared at him as he indulged. Link imagined that he would be shaking his head in disappointment.

"_8:46 P.M._"

It was a quarter past the time where he would start dinner; Ike hadn't returned since the argument. He was probably giving him a little time to cool off. Yeah, that had to be it. It wasn't because he hated him, or that he didn't want to see his face ever again… _Right?_ With the little time he had, the blonde used it to prepare his lover's favorite meal that Link prepared—spaghetti and meatballs—sort of like an apology for yelling at him.

Apologizing? To Ike?_ Whatever did Link do?_

He deposited his empty ice cream bowl and spoon in the sink, and reached for his green apron. He said he was going to start being a better lover.

It was time to start acting like one.

xXx

Link went the extra mile.

He lit two of his favorite cinnamon scented candles and set them on the intimate table for two where he and his lover ate many meals in the past. Supper was indeed ready, steam rising from the plates, the blonde watching the smoke as he sat in his chair. He didn't want to eat without his lover and so he waited…

And waited…

And waited.

"_9:31 P.M._"

"_10:17 P.M._"

"_10:53 P.M._"

No Ike.

By that time, his food—along with the taller male's—turned cold, Link nodding off at the table. It didn't matter to him, anyway… He lost his appetite. Sluggishly, he diligently wrapped their plates in plastic to save them for tomorrow and stuck them in the fridge, feeling drained and heart-achingly empty…

…_He'll come back_, he assured himself, blowing out the candles, _he always does. _

"_11:10 P.M._"

Still, no sign of his mercenary.

Looks like he was going to be facing another night alone… by himself… _again_. Something that he could have prevented if he'd only handled their argument maturely instead of lashing out at his mate. Link—who was freezing cold even under the three layers of thick sheets—cuddled up with the only friend that he could safely bank his full trust in: Moby the stuffed teddy bear.

"_All I wanted was the truth…_"

Undesired thoughts trickled into his bubblegum dreams as he eventually shut down for the night, tainting them and turning them into utter nightmares. It was the first nightmare that he'd had in months…

Maybe it had something to do with Ike not wishing him their ritual "_Sweet Dreams_" and Goodnight Kiss.

He'd never know for sure.

xXx

Ike woke with a slight headache. He didn't sleep too well—if you call closing your eyes for thirty minutes sleep—he lay awake for a few hours and slept for one, rising once more at 1:18 A.M.

In his _own_ dorm.

An awkward feeling it was, sleeping alone in a giant bed all by yourself. He was used to Link's hairless legs brushing his, the faint, cute snores tickling and filling his ears, and—of course—his lean, relaxed body plastered opposite his own, creating unmatchable warmth. They never needed to cover themselves with a blanket, even in the dead of winter... for they always had each other. Sometimes, Ike would stay conscious, stealing kisses, nipping his ears, and enjoying the feel of the blondie's small yet strong, enduring figure lying with him.

…But Link tossed frequently in his sleep.

On occasional nights, they would fall asleep together, the indigo-haired swordsman holding his lover in his arms with a secure and possessive grip. But when he'd wake up in the middle of the night—most of the time because of Link's unpredictable shifting patterns, Ike was regularly a sound sleeper—Link would be dangling off the edge of the bed. It was a mystery how he managed to wriggle his way out of his arms. But that was okay... Ike would always reel him back in. The next time he awoke from hibernation, he would find Link—and he didn't know _how_—somewhere on the floor, on the other side of him, or sometimes with his piggy toes in his face.

All through the night Ike repeated the cycle of correctly positioning Link for a proper good night's sleep, and boy was it a work out…

He chuckled in the darkness... He would truly miss those wonderful nights. He wasn't so sure if he'd ever share a bed with his beloved again.

Marth?

Well…

…_Hold on_.

_Whatever happened to the prince?_

xXx

It was a miracle.

Marth was still conscious at 1:27 A.M. He had been crying for the past hour or two, reading some of Roy's diary pages which reminded him of what a horrible, unforgivable 'best friend'—and lover—he truly was and used to be…

_March 31st… 12:59 A.M._

_It's my birthday._

_Link got me a card, balloon and a couple of nice candies. _

_Marth didn't get me anything._

_We fought today because of that… Like the crybaby I am, I ran into Link's arms, babbling my troubles to him like I always did whenever my knucklehead of a lover's done something to tick me off… _

_And he warmly gave me a shoulder to cry on…_

_Even at 12:00 A.M._

_Flashback…_

"Marth i-is such a_… uu… narcissist! He-he'd… uu… rather… _rather look at himself all day than_… than… uuun…_"

Link rubbed his hunched back sympathetically, holding his redheaded comrade in his arms. A fight? At this hour? He had lines under his eyes, and he daintily yawned… but he couldn't think about sleeping… his friends' relationship was in jeopardy.

_Marth should be the one doing this… He's not my lover...!_

"_Uu_… First Valentines Day, and now my _birthday?!_ He could've gotten me _something_, the… _the jerk…!_"

"_Roy_… Do not say things like that. Surely he has a reason for his actions…"

"_Pssh._ Yeah! _He's too self absorbed!_ _Uu_… He loves only him… _himself!_"

"_No!_ Marth loves _you_, Roy! And you_ know_ that! He just… _he has his own unique way of showing it…!_"

"_Link_, Marth had gone to the shopping center early in the morning like he said he would. _I was so happy…_ I thought he was going to surprise me with that cooking set that I'd been hinting around all month. I-I've always wanted one… to improve my cooking… _to get as good as you_. I pretended to be asleep, so when he'd finally come in, I could peek at what he got me… But when he did return, he came in with nothing but bags of _clothes._

And so I thought, '_Well, it might not be a cooking set, but clothes are fine_'. Those outfits weren't for me. They were for_ him_. I 'woke up' and kissed him, thanking him for 'my' gifts, but… he just looked at me blankly with this clueless expression.

As if he… as if he for—_forgot my birthday_…

I reminded him that it _was_ in fact my birthday, and he tried so hard to pretend that he knew all along. _But he didn't_. I _knew_ he didn't. Marth is a romantic person; he would've done something special for me… But all he did was wish me a happy birthday… _and… and…_"

Link stroked his back some more, Roy choking up…

"…_And he gave me the fucking cupcake that he already took a bite out of as a substitute birthday cake, adding rainbow sprinkles as if that would make me feel better!_"

Roy burst into tears, wailing and squeezing the blonde's body.

_Marth… A cupcake? Was that the best you could've done...?_

Link absent-mindedly dragged his fingers through his best friend's striking, crimson hair…

"I… I don't know why—"

"—_Roy! Sweetiiiiie! I'm sorry!! I went out and bought you all kinds of goodies!_ _Please come out and talk to me!_"

"_No!_ _Uu—Go away! It's… It's too late!_ _Uuu_… _Uu_…"

The redheaded swordsman burrowed his face into the archer's chest, pulling at his tear-stained pajama shirt. Letting the prince inside probably wouldn't have been such a smart move… Link got him some tissues. Roy took them—grateful for having an understanding, sympathetic friend—blowing his nose.

"Would you like me to talk to him?" the blonde offered.

Sad, oceanic orbs looked Link up and down, "…_Please?_ I-I'm sorry that I always ask so much of you… _It's just that I can't_… _Uu_… _I'm s-sorry, Link...!_"

The Hyrulean ruffled his bangs, smiling softly, "It's okay. _Don't ever hesitate to come to me…_ I vowed to preserve you and your prince's happiness as a couple, remember?"

Roy lowered the sheet from his face, blinking. Then… the biggest, adorable grin turned the swordsman's frown upside down… the first smile that the archer's seen him make all day…

It was progress.

"_Thank you, Link…! I love you, I love you!_"

_End Flashback…_

_...I ended up going to Marth's dorm, finally. He did get me lots of gifts, including the cooking set. He asked if I was happy, and I lied, saying I was. Even with all the material things that he bought me… that still doesn't change the fact that he forgot about my birthday. I'd certainly never forget his… _

_And… Sometimes—and I know this can't possibly be right, but—sometimes… I wish I fell in love with Link instead. It's just… I feel that he understands me better than Marth does… We share the same views on things, and it's easier to connect with him on a personal level. _

_But don't get me wrong… I love Marth. There's not a moment that goes by that I ever regret offering him my love and there's nothing that I wouldn't do for him… _

_I… I just wish he'd…_

…

Finally, Roy had fallen asleep before he could conclude the entry.

xXx

Ike knocked softly on the monarch's door, clutching the box of marshmallow cereal. It was unusually unlocked; he was growing used to this.

"Marth?"

Ike stepped in, surprised to find the prince awake, sprawled across his bed… and _crying_. He dropped off the sugary cereal that they were supposed to share at dawn on the counter, and immediately crawled next to his royal highness.

_This is affecting him, too…_

"Marth… _Hun, sit up_," Ike coaxed, gently rubbing his graceful back as the young man muffled his cries with a pillow.

_Ike's _pillow.

The prince arose, wiping his eyes, and stuffed his face into his paramour's collar bone, howling like a soaked puppy. Ike grabbed his legs, settling him into a more comfortable position, caressing his upper back whilst listening to the melodies of a broken heart.

"_Shh…_ Hush now."

"_Uu… _I'mma 'orrble person!_ 'Orrble, 'orrble, 'orrble! Link 'ates me… n'… n'… uu… I can't 'elp it! I luve you…!_"

Marth sloppily kissed him.

"…_I luve you zo much! N' I ne'er wan' let you go!_"

A sharp smell wafted from his moist breath...

_Alcohol?_

"…Marth? _'You drinking?_"

"_Hic_… Mm?"

"_Look at me_."

Ike tore away the hands from his leaking eyes. His index finger pointed to the ceiling in front of the prince's face.

"Marth, _f__ollow my finger_."

The mercenary went right.

A couple seconds after staring straight ahead, Marth's red eyes locked onto his finger. He went left, and got the same results. When he went middle, Marth saw three fingers, unable to tell which one he was supposed to follow, getting very dizzy.

"_Too mannnnny_…"

He slumped over, back into Ike's chest, snores as loud as a giant's.

Asleep.

_He was drunk…_

He looked around the perimeter of the bed for the evidence to support his hypothesis. Ike found a bottle, alright. Poor thing nearly drunk all of its contents, leaving Ike a friendly drop…

"Alrighty… _Let's get to bed_."

Ike lifted his sleeping love off the bed with one arm—dead weight making him a couple extra pounds heavier—pulling back the sheets. Gingerly, he laid the prince down on the left side of the bed, tucking him in as tight as he could. The mercenary shortly joined him; Marth, the cuddly koala bear, unconsciously latched onto his body, nuzzling his head of beautiful, blue hair into the crook of his neck… He swore he could hear him purring. Ike embraced the broken body of the wasted prince, kissing the young man's head repeatedly.

_I can't help it! I love you!_

"_Marth_—" he whispered airily,

_I love you so much! _

_I never want to let you go!_

He'd never admit this aloud… "—_I'm scared, too_."

xXx

Luckily, no one's up and about around seven-thirty. Link knew Ike was—the early bird. Relying solely on that fact, he had made his lover breakfast abundant with a little bit of everything which he carried on a silver platter. In addition to his wonderfully-prepared meal, he wore something that had been collecting dust in his closet since the day he had gotten it. Ike bought it for his own selfish pleasure, begging Link to wear it for at least an hour on their "off-day" while he served him breakfast in bed. The present, finally? A costume. Not just any costume… A frilly, pink maid outfit complete with lacy socks, gloves, the adorable hat, and shoes that the poor blonde could barely take a step in.

The mercenary went the whole nine yards—Link looked a lot like that fictional, children's character that lost her sheep. "Miss Bo Peep" was it?

Well, putting aside his masculine pride for just a while was the least he could do for lashing out at his love. He also did not think that he handled the situation as maturely as he would've liked with all the yelling.

Plus—and most importantly—he didn't want Ike to think that he hated him. Because he didn't...

He passed Marth's door and noticed the light shining from beneath his door.

_I'll talk with him later… Ike is my main focus._

_Marth's Dorm…_

"_It's my fault, my fault, my fault!_"

Marth was so upset that he couldn't even eat his cereal. Ike rolled his eyes, placing his bowl onto the prince's dresser. He crawled next to him... patting his shoulder.

"_Marth,_ stop beating yourself up about this, _okay?_"

"But Link yelled at you… and kicked you out. _Because of me!_ I couldn't keep my big mouth shut and… and… _It's entirely my fault_."

The mercenary sighed… Their intimate breakfast wasn't going so well thus far, but the prince wasn't done.

"I just… I mean…_ I love spending time with you_. I love being by your side; I enjoy every minute that I can. I get an… an unexplainable _rush _when I'm with you, when you kiss me… _I'm sure Link feels it, too_. I'm sorry for causing you so much trouble. I honestly, _truly_ am. But… _I'm in love with you_. And it's hard for me to… to keep away from you because… because I want to always be next to you."

Emotional, blue hues locked with the matching set. Marth could be so cute at times; Ike needed to work on his resistance skills. Right now, the prince was that delicious worm wriggling in the open pond. The bass—who was Ike in this illustration—knew something wasn't right. Finding an easy snack in the middle of the pond? There had to be a catch. Disregarding the obvious bait, the bass ate it anyway, caught on the fisherman's hook.

Now you would think that the bass learned its lesson after being freed back into the pond. But _repetitively_, the fish fell for the fisherman's scrumptious worm…

_Repetitively_, Ike fell for the prince's sweet, addicting words, incredibly soft lips and porcelain skin…

He gingerly forced the young prince onto the sheets; a smile that could light a thousand bulbs bore his lips.

"_What are you so happy about?_"

Ike chuckled as he pet Marth's beautiful hair.

"Never thought you felt that way about me… _I had an idea_… but just hearing you say it makes me feel a little better."

The other swordsman brought his hands up to rake through Ike's indigo forest.

"Really?"

"_Yeah._ You're not as heartless as I thought…"

"…_You bastard_."

...

Dorm Number Twelve.

In other words, _Ike's dorm_.

With a shaky fist, Link knocked; he hadn't felt butterflies like this since the days of his schoolgirl crush on Ike. He straightened his headband and smoothed down his puffy skirt.

"Ike—" he cleared his throat so he could use the sweet, "maid-like" voice to its highest, "—I-It's Link! I—_um—I-I made you some yummy breakfast!_"

The door didn't open, but that didn't mean Link wasn't going to stop trying.

"Ike…? _I-I'm_… Please open the door. _I want to talk_…"

Even with his cute, whiny voice, Ike did not emerge.

_That should've done it..._

So the blonde took matters into his own hands: he invited himself in.

"…_Hello?_"

Link tipped around the dorm, looking inside every room, every compartment… even the closet just for his lover. The handsome man could not be found.

_Strange… Where could he have gone? _Link thought, sitting on the brink of Ike's bed. He felt the ruffled, ice-cold sheets, signifying that the bed hadn't been occupied for some hours.

_He's not… avoiding me. I don't think… Could he be training? No… Ragnell's somewhere near his closet; he wouldn't leave the dorm without his sword if he were training… The café's not open, either, so he couldn't be there…_

Link emitted a low, aggravated growl, setting the tray on his small nightstand, _Where is that man?! I didn't wake up thirty minutes early just to dress up as some maid and have all this food turn cold! But this is worth the trouble… My relationship is in grave danger. I don't want to lose him; this means a lot to me._

He removed himself from the mattress, flattening his skirt yet again.

_Forgetting to make up the bed, typical Ike._

Link did him a favor, removing the pillows first. The moment the second cushion was tossed, something similar to a good-sized bookmark floated safely to Link's pink shoes.

…_What…?_

The blonde bent over and picked up the long, white strip. He flipped it to the adjacent side; what he saw caused flash after flash of pictures and moments in time to rush back to him, almost knocking him over.

On the strip were photos… but not just any photos.

Photos from Ike and Link's very first date.

_Flashback…_

"_Arrrgh!_ _I hate this fucking ice!!_" blurted Ike after he landed on his tush for the thousandth time. Link, alerted, made it over to his new lover, laughing silently.

It was their first, official date as a couple; the smaller man had always desired to go to an ice skating rink. The swordsmen decided to go on one on their off days. Marth was invited, but he insisted that they'd go alone (2). When they hit the ice, the blonde found out that he was a natural when it came down to skating on the ice… the silver blades on his white, rented skates slid gracefully across the dry ice, allowing him to move smoothly with every stride. In addition to learning how to skate, he successfully taught himself how to twirl. Ike wasn't so natural, and he discovered that the_ hard_ way.

Face plant after face plant, Link kindly offered his mate help, but Ike refused. He made it look so easy and effortless; standing on two feet without tipping over was a challenge to the poor mercenary. It was very frustrating—he felt like ice skating was something he should know how to do. Seeing Ike so fussy entertained Link. It was… _cute_.

"_Now_ do you want my help?"

Ike grumbled something beneath his breath.

"_C'mon_, Ike. The little three-year-old over there is doing better than you!"

"Which means I can do it—_by myself_," the indigo haired man tried to stand, going a little too fast, "I don't need your help—_Whoa...!_"

Link snagged his arm before he could fall backwards.

"Yeah, _sure_… Let's start with the basics. Hold onto the rail, it'll act as your support whenever you stumble."

Ike pouted a little—Link noticed, squealing inside—but did what he was instructed to do.

"There, now what?"

"Skate for me. I'll see what you need assistance in."

Ike groaned and began to walk, but during the transition to the third step or so his left leg crossed over his right. He knew what was coming next, but cleverly, he clamped down on the rail like a cat being shoved against its will into a tub of water. As predicted, he didn't fall.

Link grinned, pulling him up, "And you say you don't need my help… _you can barely walk!_"

"_It ain't all that easy, damnit!_"

"Maybe, but for starters… you're taking wide, irregular steps. They aren't paced or timed in any way. Skating—or so I've learned—is all about _rhythm_. Now, grab onto the rail."

Ike gripped the support beam… tightly.

"Watch me," Link began to skate, "_One… Two… One… Two…_ There's a variety of ways that you could _blah blaaaah blah blahh__....._"

A teensy smirk curled at the mercenary's lips… he wasn't at all interested in his _feet_.

"…but I find this much, much easier. _Now you try!_ Counting my steps helps out a lot. I'm not sure if it'll be the same for you—_Ike?_"

"_Huh?_"

"...You were looking at my ass, weren't you?"

He bit his lip, fluttering his lashes innocently... "_Maybe_. But I got ya: '_One, two, one, two'_."

Wobbly yet determined, Ike copied his lover's feet movements while counting aloud… and it was probably the very first time he didn't fall since the time they arrived. He smiled; Link was even impressed.

"Good, good! But you're still a little shaky," the blonde man stood beside him, "a little more practice could change that."

The both of them circled the entire perimeter of the enormous ice rink together, improving the taller man's developing skating abilities. Counting to himself—although it seemed really childish—and keeping beat became a really big help. He was very grateful for Link.

"Now that you've gotten the skating part down pat, let's get you away from the rail!"

"No!! I-I need it! _I was just getting good!_"

"_Come on_," Link coaxed, pulling him away from the long, black bar, and out onto the open ice. As much as he hated to admit it_—_and he _really_ hated to admit it_—_Ike needed the bar.

"_Nnngh!_ Damnit, Link! _I'm losing balance! I'm gonna fall—!!_"

If Link didn't grab his hand when he did, unfortunate Ike would've fell flat on his back.

"_Relax_, Ike. _I got you_."

It was probably the second time the mercenary blushed… the blonde shortly realized the context of what he just said and the gloved hand he held, blushing crimson along with his lover. Link kept Ike on his feet as their fingers _somehow_ interlocked, the both of them sporting bright-red cheeks and noses; the cold temperature had nothing to do with it. They slowly skated side by side—hand in hand—Link giggling as Ike tried to keep pace. It was a new experience for the couple; an exciting one. After minutes of strolling around on the ice, Ike thought it would be fun to take a few pictures. If Marth came he would've been the photographer, but there was also the claustrophobic photo booth! The mercenary pulled back the curtain; it was smaller than they feared.

"So little…" Link mumbled.

Ike sat inside, nearly taking up the entire space.

"This isn't going to work…"

"Oh, yes it will. _We'll make it work_."

The mercenary yanked Link into the booth by the arm, his blonde tumbling inside.

"_There_, see?"

Link saw, alright.

He was seated in Ike's comfortably cozy lap...

Ike fed cash into the machine, which caused a button to Link's right to light up. He pressed it, and a blinding, fluorescent flash filled the small space. The large screen in front of them displayed the taken picture: Ike's eyes were closed, but the blonde's were about to pop out of his head. Of course, the indigo-haired man cackled, but his lover—humiliated and embarrassed—didn't find anything humorous at all.

"_Hey_," Ike hugged him, coiling his strong arms about his love's waist, "It's not that bad. _You look cute…!_"

Link drowned in the warmth. Ike was so close… he smelled of cinnamon, spice, and everything nice. Because of inexperience in relationships, he was a little terrified… But now that he's in one, all of the cuddling, constant touching, kissing would gradually grow on him. He didn't mind that. There is one thing he certainly wasn't looking forward to, though… Sex.

The very _word_ made him cringe; he avoided the subject completely, but it lingered on his mind whenever they slept together. He was sure that Ike thought it about it, too. Hell, maybe all the time judging by the looks he's been giving him lately...

"A new picture starts in fifteen seconds!"

"Okay… but where's the camera? S-So I… know where to look."

"Heh, right in front of your face."

Link peered straight forward.

"I see it now…"

_"__**5… 4… 3…**__"_

"Alright—" Ike pressed their bodies closer, "—_Smile!_"

There was the familiar flash again; the picture of a handsome, happy couple shone on the screen.

"Much better…" added the relieved archer.

"It says we have six pictures left… _Let's do silly faces!_" Ike unanimously suggested.

And that they did. The men posed as fishes in one photo, cross-eyed in the next two, Link playfully strangled his lover in one after Ike bit his "cute, elfin ear". _Or maybe it wasn't in a playful manner… _For the final photo, Ike surprised a clueless Link with a kiss to his cheek at the_ last_ minute, the camera caught it. It took him a few moments to realize what had just happened. The luminescent screen lit up with their final picture: Ike's neck elegantly stretched, eyelids closed, lips firmly rested on his face… and the blonde's smile just as heart-warming as the affectionate kiss.

With wide eyes, Link gawked at his partner… and something the mercenary had been dying to confess burned within his chest. The blonde could see him burning… he could hear the flames crackling within him...

"_Um_…" their hands found each other, "I'm a _real_ idiot for not telling you this sooner, but, better late than never, right?"

"Uh, yeah. _I guess so_..."

_What is he going to...?_

"_Link_… I love—"

"—_**Please select your frame**_."

The two of them jumped at the stern, electronic command. Endless options were listed on the screen. Ike ultimately chose the hearts, and that's what they ended up with. The machine printed their photos, a long strip bordered with red, pink and purple hearts protruding from an open slot in the machine.

"_**Thank you for your service**_."

They left the rink moments after, silent as church mice. The park was their next and last destination...

_He was going to say it… _

Link gazed upon the small picture on the laminated strip, cheesing.

Spring—Link's favorite season out of the entire year. The flowers were blooming, showing off their magnificent, natural colors. Lively, newborn animals were scurrying about in the tall grass, gardens and meadows. The sky was always an infinite baby-blue with splotches of white… and when night fall came, rain clouds lazily rolled in, bringing sweet, quiet rain in the evening and leaving refreshing dew on the cleansed earth at dawn. Spring made the short blonde grow homesick… but it kept his fond memories alive.

The swordsmen sat a park bench facing a field of vivid sunflowers… Ike had gotten up to pick one of them for his lover.

"_Wow_… I never knew they could get to be so… _big_. I got cha a small one," he pulled back some of Link's hair, then tucked the long stem onto the shell of his ear, "so it wouldn't be as heavy."

The Hyrulean smiled, inching closer to him, "Thank you…"

"You're _always_ welcome."

Ike was always being so kind to him with his random acts of affection. He tried surprising him with breakfast the day before, and although it was an epic failure, Link still loved him for giving the effort in doing something thoughtful… and romantic. He liked a man who knew how to cook, but Ike an obvious exception.

"What were you going to say?"

"Huh?"

"Before the voice cut you off… You were going to tell me... _something_."

Ike bashfully scratched his head, "_Ah_… _You knew what I was going to say_..."

"_But I would like to hear you say it_," puled the blonde, "_Please?_"

_Say it, Ike. Say those three, beautiful words that I've pined to hear throughout my life. _

Fuzzy inside, the archer slid his palm into the other's much larger one, a tinge of pink in both their faces…

"…I love you... _A lot_. I love you _a lot_."

Link got way too excited and met his lover's open lips with a border line chaste kiss, the wings of his abdominal butterflies tickling the walls of his stomach.

"I love you, too. _A lot_," he told him, "I love you so much. More than you could ever imagine… or even _dream_ about, Ike."

Ike kissed his forehead. "Want to know _why_ I love you?"

"…Why?"

"You're an amazing person: the strong, silent type. I like that; it's sexy. And you're unpredictable. When I think you're going to do one thing, you actually end up doing the complete opposite. Keeps me guessing; It's sort of like a game. I love how you treat others—even your enemies—and how you stay true to your word… and most importantly_ yourself_."

Ike pecked his lips thrice before he broke away to gaze sincerely into his mate's pupils, "I love you, Link. And I am so happy that the gods have brought me to you."

The blonde chortled, resting his decorated head upon his mate's breast. He closed his eyes, listening closely…

"And I love you, too, Ike. I'm so happy to have met you."

_Thadump, thadump…_

_Here, in this moment, nothing could ever be this perfect and feel so right._

"Babe?"

"Yes?"

"You know the sunflower in your hair?"

"Yes. What about it?"

"Don't freak but, I think a bee has taken a liking to it."

_End Flashback…_

Link laughed at the memories… They were little bells in his mind the reminded him of what he was fighting for; that was his currently failing relationship he had worked so hard to build and maintain. He wasn't going to let it just crumble and fall! Being with Ike meant something to him!

He clenched his fists.

_I have to track that man down. I'll start the world's largest man hunt if I have to. But before I go through all of that trouble, I'll just ask Marth if he's seen him… and apologize for my earlier rudeness..._

xXx

_Thank goodness! His light's still on!_

But that didn't necessarily mean that he was inside.

"Marth? You in there—"

A rather pitchy moan could be heard from behind the door; it spilled into the hallway due to the small crack in the door. It was only natural to want to know what was going on. Curious-natured, Link decided to take a look-see.

He gawked, getting an eyeful of what would be replayed over and over again in his mind.

Marth was on the bed… with Ike.

Who was on top of him.

Touching him.

Kissing him.

Wrapped up in his pretty, long legs.

"_Nn_… _Ouchie,_" Marth whined, loving the pain cause by the mercenary's sharp-pointed teeth... Ike was all over him like famished picnic ants on a French pastry. Link could've probably stood there for hours and they wouldn't have noticed him, but the second that his silver platter shattered the silence—food and tea splattering everywhere—the busy bluenettes nearly broke their necks to meet their intruder.

Who—_much to their horror_—turned out to be Link.

Ike's heart stopped.

_Oh… Shit._

Marth, petrified, didn't say anything at all. It was fair to say that all three of them were in a severe state of shock. The blonde suddenly bolted into the halls, an uneasy, discomforting feeling settling in his gut.

_No…_

"_**Are you hiding anything from me, Ike?"**_

"_**Link… I'm not hiding anything from you… I love you."**_

_I took his word…_

_**"You're so beautiful."**_

…_I believed him!_

"…_**We're lovers**_**. **_**We don't keep secrets from each other…"**_

_How could he do this to me?!_

"LINK!!"

Ike and Marth chased after the runaway maid. Link kept running and running from the nightmare that he was soon doomed to face. He couldn't avoid it much longer; he couldn't keep running away… He had to face them.

He had to face the bloody truth.

Running down the halls with your eyes glued shut wasn't such a good idea, either. Poor Miss Bo Peep took a fatal tumble down the stairwell, rousing a scare in the two men who witnessed it.

"Link!! Dear _God_, is he okay?!" Marth exclaimed in terror.

Ike couldn't respond.

The swordsmen rushed down the stairs—almost tripping, themselves—to their fallen comrade.

"_Uuuun_…"

…_damn shoes, damn costume... damn Ike._

"Link…" Ike's hand brushed his back. The blonde smacked it away this time.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" he snapped, managing to stand on his tingling legs. He was fine, there were minor scratches.

"_I-I-I_ can explain—"

"—_YOU DISHONEST, DECEITFUL, CONNIVING SERPENT!_" Link accused, irate, "_YOU LIED TO ME!_"

Ike looked to his bare feet. That was even more hurtful than being called a plain old "bastard". Marth held tremendous sympathy for him…

…_This is my fault._

"L-Link, I-I—"

"—And_ you_. _I don't want to hear your voice_. I can't even _look _at you right now."

The prince rubbed his lips together… Link took a couple deep breaths to calm his jolting nerves, and they gave him some time.

_Let's calm down… Yelling doesn't get anything solved._

"...Ike? You mind telling me how long this has been going on?"

Link briefly cut his eyes to the prince; the rotten look rippled his skin and chilled his body to the core. Ike—neck deep in boiling hot water—couldn't possibly look at his lover. Not even with the appealing uniform that he foresaw hugging his every curve just right.

"And I want the truth or so help me—"

"—Eight months."

Link's lungs nearly burst with the amount of air he inhaled.

_Eight months?_ Was he being serious with him? They'd been dating a little over a year, and if his math was correct, out of exactly fourteen months, Ike had spent eight of those with Marth. Why, that was the majority of their relationship! The blonde felt like throwing up… the news was utterly inconceivable.

"_Eight months?_ You have been lying to me repeatedly… _for eight months?_"

He didn't get an answer; he didn't need one. Link knew it was the truth by their guilty features… he read faces very well. And so he proceeded with the next follow-up question, one he was a little afraid to even ask…

"_Have you two…?_"

How should he say it? _Had sex? Made love?_ There most definitely is a distinct difference between the two.

"Yes… We have."

Another crippling blow to the archer's heart. And he had gotten his answer faster than he expected. Ike and Marth having a secret relationship was one thing, but the both of them _having sex?_ How could he not have known? So that meant he went back and forth between them? Was it each night? Every blue moon? Ike was caressing_ him_ with the very same, gentle hands? Kissing _him_ with the very same lips?

But… those were_ his_ special touches…_ his_ special kisses. He shared_ those_ which belonged _only_ to him with someone _else?_

"_My God_, Ike! _Are you aware of how disgusting that is?!_ I have not only shared my body with you, but also with Marth and all the other sexual partners floating around that I don't know about!"

"Th-There's only Marth!_ I-I swear...!_"

"'Only Marth'?! It doesn't make a difference! _I'm supposed to be the only man that you touch!_ Now I learn that you're fucking my _best friend_, too?! How do you think this makes me feel? I am nothing but faithful to you! _Faithful, committed_ and_ devoted_ to our entire relationship! And you pull off some shit like this?_ For eight months?!_ Why couldn't you have been honest with me? _Why couldn't you just tell me the truth__?_"

Ike met his lover's eyes.

"_Because I didn't want to hurt you!_" he manly cried with some feeling.

"_Hurt me? What do you think you're doing now?_"

Ike looked away…

"_No!_"

Link yanked his head right back around and _made_ him look into his eyes, "_Look at me_, Ike! Look at what you're doing to me!" He came closer and lowered his tone to make their chat a little more intimate, as if he'd kiss him.

"...There is_ nothing_ in this world that I wouldn't do for you. _You know that_. You think I wore this ridiculous costume just for the hell of it? _No!_ I wore it because I knew it would make you _happy_. That's all I wanted for us… _happiness_. And I thought we had that. But obviously, there is something that I'm lacking in… something that you crave from me. Is it sexual? Emotional? _Mental_, even?

…Marth possesses it. Doesn't he? I know he does, otherwise you wouldn't have been seeing him for the past eight months. _Ike…_ You didn't have to sleep with him… _What am I not giving you enough of?_ You could've told me what you wanted… we could've talked about it! And all of this would have been avoided!"

_"...What am I not giving you enough of?"_ he asked.

Ike truthfully didn't know. Link was _more_ than enough. Marth? Well, he was just… something extra. Like the "_Buy One, Get One Free_" deal you see in supermarkets, although that's a poor way of illustrating it.

"Fourteen months—_our _fourteen months—do they mean_ anything_ to you? _At all…?_"

Ike perked up. The last thing he wanted Link to leave with was that the precious time they've spent together was just an… _elongated_ fling.

"_Yes_… Yes, of course—!"

"—_Apparently not_. How could they have been when eight of them were spent with Marth? You've lied to me… _ch-cheated on me_… These fourteen months were nothing but a _joke_ to you! _I was a joke to you!_ I put so much into this relationship; _I've given you everything that I had_… _And you just throw all of it away…?_"

Link lowered his head…

"Link… I… _I'm sorry_. I-I… _I love you_."

"_How can you stand here and lie to me like that?_ You don't _love _me. _You love him!_" the archer retorted pointing to the prince. Marth was close to tears…

"…You don't understand…!"

"_I don't understand?_ Oh, I understand, _perfectly_. You have a problem: you're a _manwhore_. And I am not allowing myself to suffer any longer."

Link took off his shimmering ring, and placed it into Ike's hand.

"You want him so bad? _Then you can have_ _him_. Because I'm _done_ playing this little game—I'm done being both of you two's _fool_."

With one last, crushed look, Link walked away… starting back up the stairs. Ike seized him by his wrist.

"_Link, please_… you _have_ to let me at least explain why—"

"I don't _have_ to let you explain _anything_. I've already made my decision! _Let me go!_"

"Babe, think about this!"

"I've thought about it; _I don't want to be with a liar! RELEASE ME!_"

Ike, dazed, unhanded the blonde…

"…_can't believe you_."

The bluenette's watched their best friend to one, and their lover to the other, the sound of his small, pink pumps hitting each stair with a _click-clock_...

Click… clock… click… clock.

* * *

_Finally..._

Link unravels the dreadful truth and dumps Ike for good! :D

Marth loses the person who was most important to him in exchange for one who had recently caused him nothing but pain and heartache. _Was it really worth it?_

Ike is still a dumbass.

And Pit gets his big chance! So there's still some positivity going around here...

Hokage's (_meaningless_) Points:

(1): On Twilight Princess I noticed that the stray kittens/dogs would follow Link around wherever he went in the little town! _**It is so cute!**_ I spent like... twenty minutes playing fetch with a dog once! I found this too adorable to ignore Cx

(2): This was before Marth and Ike had any sort of relationship, other than friendship! A little something that I felt I should point out...

_Reviewsss_ :O

**iWaffle**: I hope you're satisfied! I worked really hard on this chapter and put lots of time in it (hence the late update…) So you are a LinkXPit fan?! :DDD You'll like the next chapter, I'm sure ;D COOOKIE FOR YOU –gives rainbow m&m cookie- Thank you for your review!!

**Rasengan Kagebunshin**: I love your name, firstly. "_RASENGAAAAAN!_"

…

Sorry if you're not referring to Naruto's (might I add "annoying ass") move. That's the only "Rasengan" I know xD An-ee-who… I'm glad that you like my story! When you said that I made Marth and Ike adorable ukes I was like, "Wait… I made Ike an uke? O.o" But then I remembered the one oral sex chapter scene. He was sort of uke-ish in there…= w = _Uke Ike… Ha Haa… _I learned Hare Hare Yukai, too!! I have Mikuru's part down, Haruhi's is haaard. Strange about the Caramelldansen coincidence… and Geometry… I'm slowly getting the hang of it. Although since math isn't my best—and least favorite—subject, I sometimes have to stay after for lunch to finish tests and such. Which pisses me off. UWAAHH! The Link sumo wrestling scene = SO CUUUTE. I lost to the dude over and over again just so I could watch it!! –squuuueeee- I'm on the Zora part now. Giving the prince boy back to his dead mom or something like that and finding the last Fused Shadow. YUSH (and I might ask you for questions… I hope you have patience. I'm really lazy C:). I hope Link dressed in a maid outfit was a little something for your nekoboy fetish xDDD Thanks for your review!! –hands cookie-

**xXAngelic ScarsXx**: Haa, I think I did make Link a little mean to Pit (Well—"a lot" mean). I know everyone's pain… Link's, Pit's, Marth's… I've seen/felt it all. Sucks. Mosquitoes don't even have lips to put blueberry lip gloss on! Unless the little "sucker" is their lips. But how could… ehh… Never mind. Oh it's okay about missing the updates (I understand... high school, uggghhh) Cx Gave you more time to catch up! "Pit with a spine! I love it so much!" Does this mean you like him being motherly to the kids?! :DDD I'm sorry for making Link seem like a bitch to Pit D: He was a little extreme…

**Sachiko V**: I_ LOVE_ THE SITE. It's saved on my favorites (did I say that already?). _"There's always the hetare seme and sasoi/osoi uke option…" _L. O. L. xDDD Link isn't a dumb blonde. He might be a little clueless (in my fic, of course), but he ain't all that ditzy. I hate stereotypes like that… and no, I'm not blonde. I gots black hair C: _(Why am I talking about my hair…?)_ I didn't even know the lip gloss would reveal Ike and Marth's dirty secrets, either. Until I thought of it and decided to write it. Yeahh, I didn't want Pit to go all emo over the whole Link angry at him thing… But who would you believe? People that you've known longer? Or an individual that you've just met?

**ShaSha3498**: I rarely do my homework on the computer. When I do, it's for looking up definitions for eigo-senseeeei DDDx -groan- But I will try to do that! Gomen for the late update, too, but I hope this chappy makes up for it, suuu… AHH! COOKIE! –chocolate chip- Thanks for reviewing!

**Solid Snake's Soldier**: Thank you! And you're welcome! I love IkeXLink (grr, and I wanna see more!) so how else could I have shown my love for this couple (besides drawing, which I'm horrible at)? Wow… all the chapters? How long did it take, because there's alotta words! And thank you… _thank you_ for telling me about the Ike raping Pit story that you found. And I'm being sarcastic xD I'm ecstatic that you like the LinkXPit pairing. There's not much in the beginning of the story, but there will be when they finally get together. Thanks for putting me on your favorites!! :O And your cookie! –gives sugar cookie-

**azel-chan**: Correct-to-mun-do to your whole Roy missing theory. Marth will go back to Roy, but I'm not guaranteeing that they'll be staying together, ho ho… _BUT I'M NOT SAYING THAT THEY WON'T!_ Nahh, I didn't want him to find out in the previous chapter. This one was more… fitting, ne? BAAH! I did make Link a big meanie to Pit! D: I feel bad now! Pit hates me now. Link hates me, too, I guess...

Link: … -glare-

Pit: … -glare-

Me: …Yeahhh. They hate me xD

The grading system where I live is horrendous. A 70 is a "D". What… the fuck. Since when is a 70 a "D"?! Isn't that like… a "C"? Border line?! Uggh. But my grades are going up! YAAY! Thanks for the wishes and the hug! Writing is exhausting, yet I love it. Roy is coming back, Marth being happy? Hmmm... We shall see ;3

**bitbyboth**: Pfft. I've had that happen before. It was… well, if my other best friend wasn't there to pull me back there most likely would've been a fight that day at school. I really wanted to kick her ass… -looks up to the ceiling and reminisces- _Haaah_… Good times. Anyway—how rude of me—back to your review response. I hope ya liked this chapter! Roy coming back = happiness for all!

**Kufuffelupagus**: Yes, story alert would be most helpful xDDD I did a poor job explaining the preview for chapter eleven… (or thirteen, as it seems on the little chapter counter) I'm always horrible at those. Will Ike and Marth become a couple after Link dumped him? Another question that will be answered soon! Hope you liked the MarthXRoy flashbacks. AWW. I get an "A"! Do I get one of those shiny, golden star stickers, too?! 8DDD

**Flock o' Seagulls**: HA! Odd… we used the same line… Yes… I thought about an experimenting Pit. Maybe I should do that! Seme Link is no problem for me, but still, having Pit as seme would've been nicer… and more fun. Fuu…

**Ernoma**: I have lots of fluffly/sexy LinkXPit ideas in store!! I'm just as excited as you are! That's why I wanted Link to be uke and Pit the seme. Link's the one all broken-hearted, and Pit's (obviously) going to be the one to comfort him… Which means a vulnerable Link… and a hungry Pit. Heeh Heeehh:

Link: -sprawled on the bed- _Take me_, Pit. _Make Ike go away_…

Pit: !! C:

xDDD I might use that (Link's) line. Lots of the reviews I've gotten wanted me to make Pit seme. I will, su. I've decided on making them switch the seme/uke role whenever it comes down to sex. Link will be a little ukeish, too, with him being heartbroken… (Yes, I'm reading L&F, too! Great story, ne?!?!)

**Kurai:** I'm glad that feminine Marth isn't all that bad. I like making him girly, anyway. It's fuuun! Is a maternal Pit good, too? –bites nails- I promise not to make him too motherly. But he is an angel… I was going for the whole "guardian angel" thing. So he has a strong fix on watching over the children, which is sort of what a mother does, too, ne? Choice B, yes. But there shall—and I mean _shall_—be uke Link/seme Pit-ness. Regardless.

**lyudesshadow**: YEEESSS. The truth finally came out!! The swordsmen are discovered and Link dumps Ike's sorry ass!! :DDD Makes me a little sad that Ike and Marth got caught. Dunno why. Just does. I wanted them to get caught, though. And I feel bad for Link. I SERIOUSLY know what he's feeling right now. Like, you have no clue xD I will bring the little redhead back, no doubt. And will he win Marth back? What if he wants to stay with Ike? But now, is he even with Ike? _Fuu fuuu_… Cliff hangerrr.

**Nyo~Chan:** _Wait_. Snake is number one of the seme chart, isn't he? Then Captain Falcon, and_ theeeeen_ Ike. Which sort of scares me. I've seen fanarts of SnakeXIke (mostly ones of rape… _Ickk_). They give me nightmares. I've noticed Pit's golden "garter" and the tight shorts P: I've just started French. UGGH. Since I've been doing English my entire life it's kinda hard learning a new language (but strangely, Japanese is easy. Maybe because it's with symbols and not roman letters…). Did you enjoy this chapter? O w O And yes, that little exert was pretty hot x3 Sugarless gum xDDD

**The Mad Joker**: Judging by how good of a relationship he's had with Link, I think he would be very pissed at Marth for doing such a thing to Link, but still love him all the same. Lol… Ike meeting Roy for the first time. If Marth decides that he doesn't want to be with Ike he might actually start hitting on Roy xDDD But then the prince might rip his head off, even if he does hate Roy for leaving him. Link isn't stupid!! He's… _ummmmmnnn_… misinformed! That's all xD Mosquito bites are red. Love bites are red. Plus Link believes anything Ike tells him. Again… I apologize for the tremendously late update Dx But I hope you liked this chapter!

**Gathouria:** If I get a "B" my parents would be like, "Ehh… You could've done better." I hate it when they say that. I did an essay that we had to complete in two days. I got an 89 and they were all like, "You could've gotten a 90". I was like, "BITCH! I did this in two days!! I'd like to see you do that and make a fairly decent grade!!" - 3- LinkXRoy? I could see that as a comforting couple type. Like, Marth falls in love with Ike, then Roy is all emo, then Link comforts him, then they bang, etcetera etcetera. Many possibilities. I like stories like that. So cyyuuuute.

**Yukina99**: Ike doesn't deserve Marth or Link for that matter. But ya can't blame Marth for being a little broken hearted, which caused him to seek comfort from Ike and Marth (which—in a future chapter—I shall explain how the whole IkeXMarth saga started. Maybe a whole chapter will be dedicated to it, I dunno yet). WOO! PITXLINK!

**Referee:** They got caught, finally, which I hope satisfies all of my readers… including you! I've read a **MarthXSandbag** crack one-shot fic on Livejournal once; I was curious. It was… disturbing. An inanimate object. I still have horrible dreams about that. Yeeaaahhh, Pit is an angel. And angels aren't supposed to do naughty things xD But topping? Fuu fuuu… It's possible. YAAAY, COOKIES -takes- I didn't have anything to eat since lunch today! I would've had a little snack, but I had lots of homework. Plus I wanted to stop stalling and reply to these reviews xDDD I loved writing the breakfast scene. Marth has TEASE written all over his face xDDDD

**Rayestar Ikina**: Romeo, to me, is a complete dumbass. He liked, no, loved Rosaline, but she didn't love him. So he was all emo. Then he went to the sort of masquerade party, then immediately fell in love with Juliet the same day. Then the two of them fall in love, and ehh, you know the whole story: Tybalt dies. Romeo dies. Juliet dies. And all of this chaos in a span of three days. -shakes head- _Ah-mazing_. Shakespeare, I don't know how ya did it, buddy. Maternal Pit, nyaah! I like writing motherly characters… because I like kids (my goal is to become a pediatrician). I see him as a "guardian angel" sort of. So he's protective… and all. That makes sense, ne? When ya think about it… Roy disappears, which makes Marth sad. Then he finds comfort in Link and Ike's arms, which leads him into the whole secret relationship of Ike and Marth. Then the breakup of Ike and Link… so yeah. It's sorta his fault. I would be tired of taking a foreign language class (Spanish 4?!). I think for the school I'm attending to be able to graduate you have to have at least 2 to 4 foreign language credits… Which means I have to take French 2… I can't get bad grades, either! I want to go to a good college! Dx

**DarkItachi22**: WHAT?! I FORGOT TO GIVE YOU A COOKIE?! –gives you the entire box of rainbow m&m cookies and bows- I'M SO SORRY!! I try to give all the first time reviewers cookies :3 _How did I miss you?_ Hmmm… I was going to write the emo Pit. But in the next chapter I'll explain why he didn't have time to sulk over Link being angry with him. I know how ya feel!! I was on fanfiction at like… what… twelve (reading things that a twelve year old shouldn't be reading… but what can ya do? My innocent mind had been—erm—tainted long before)? I appreciate the nice comments! THEY REALLY MAKE ME HAPPY! And it makes me feel good about my horrible writing xD And I think I've already told ya what a plan to do with your movie scene xD THANKS FOR THE POEM, TOO! I **LURRVED** IT!

**hopeless wreck**: Arigatouuuu! The pairings are exhausting to write; I still make sure that I keep them interesting! I feel sorry for all of them, but mostly Pit because unrequited love is a horrible thing… but his love won't be unrequited for looong! I hope you continue reading/reviewing. I love hearing other people's ideas!!

**Lunar Guardian**: Yeah, I think that's it. I hate my work, but people—like you, for instance—say that it's very good. I don't wanna believe it. I guess it's because I've read my writing for so long and always thought that it was horrible… Bahh. Yes. Windows vista = thine enemy. I was typing up one of the chapters on the Document feature in FF. Then the little "Send Error Report" came up. And I already knew what was going to happen. I clicked "Don't Send" and the damned thing exited out all of my windows. Damn right I was pissed. I had typed a lot!! I know little Japanese: Most of the Katakana and Hiragana. But Kanji? I think I only know "Wings", "Water" and "Tree". Because they look identical to what they mean if you look up the characters. But all the other thousands of kanji? I'm saving that for college. I'm to lazy to study all that. Yes… anything but blueberry. But I do like blueberry muffins! :D Unlike Link. He didn't know what pudding was (referring to the Chinese exchange student)?! He probably did, but didn't know what its name was in English. Like my one friend who knew what a squirrel was (God, I hate those things. Except my pet squirrel Moby who I occasionally feed walnuts to), but didn't know that it was called a "squirrel" in English xD Cute… Maybe Ike and Marth did rob a bank. Or maybe Ike forced Marth into prostitution. I LIKE YOUR LONG REVIEWS! I hope you like my long responses… I try to be as detailed as I can C:

**Midnight Crystal Sage**: Aww!! Link is emo now that you've slapped him! Look at the poor thing:

Link: -sulking in a corner- _Midnai-chan hates me_…

But I did make him sound like a big bad meanie to ickle Pit... DDD: Well, the bluenettes are finally caught and Link now knows the truth!! This is, for many reasons, good and bad. Good because, well, Pit gets Link! And who doesn't want that? Bad because Link is emotionally—hmmm… how should I put this—unstable. I personally like the fluffly IkeXPit stories that I've read :3 I stay away from the… err… ones I can't stomach. LinkXPit is much better in my opinion. Even more fluffier! (I. LOVE. Fluff. Period) Oh yes, I thanked Ernoma! I also mentioned your story (L&F) a bit in her review response!

Two hours of replying. I think my fingers are going to fall off, but I don't mind if they do.

I love giving opinions! C:

My horrible summary for _chapitre douze_ (chapter twelve):

_**Next Chapter... **_The truth has finally been revealed... Link apologizes to the falsely victimized Pit. He stops by his dorm and explains the gloomy details of the most heart-breaking day of his life, unexpectedly spending_ longer_ than he had originally intended. What happens from this point on? Will Marth and Ike finally become a couple? Will Link ever forgive his comrades? And—for Link's sake—will Pit summon the courage we _all_ know he has to confess his pent-up feelings for the blonde he's yearned for from day one?!

All will be answered in Chapter Twelve!

Hope everyone had an amazing Thanksgiving! I basically ate, slept, watched TV, wrote, had fun with my relatives... But nothing big.

Ree-vyuu.

:3

Much Love,

HokageAkamaru


	14. Comfort: Link

Title: A Lover's Brawl

Pairing(s): **IkeXLink**,** IkeXMarth**, Eventual** MarthXRoy**, Eventual** PitXLink**

Rating: M

**Full Story:** _Link has always been the quiet, shy type. That is… until Ike came into his life. Since then, Ike and Link have been an inseparable item ever since they've laid eyes on each other. Marth, coping with his broken heart after the disappearance of his very own lover—Roy—had secretly loved Ike from the beginning. But it was too late, Link was the only one on Ike's mind._

_With his seductive powers and body, he lures Ike to him, the both of them sharing many nights together. And ever since, Ike has not been able to let him—nor his delicious shape—go. Link is totally unaware of this, Ike constantly lying to him about his whereabouts to protect he and his prince's relationship. With whole-hearted trust, Link believes every single word._

_Marth wants a fully committed relationship with Ike—tired of hiding it—and he will do anything to get it, even if that means hurting one of the people that he loves the most._

_But there is one more person that complicates this plot._

_Someone who watches his crush from afar._

_(This story takes place after Super Smash Brother's Melee, the reason why Roy is "missing")_

**A/N: **A belated Christmas present from Hokage: **Chapter Twelve**.

_**PitXLink**__ comfort-ness, and __**IkeXLink**__ begging-for-forgiveness…ness... included!_

(**IkeXMarth** comfort-ness in the next chapter!)

Gomen for all mistakes. I have Microsoft Word 1997 (Yes… 1997 when I have a Windows Vista computer… WTF?). It likes to screw me over a lot when it comes to spelling. Although I rarely use ABC spell check. I'm sure that I spell everything right… unless my finger slips.

Blah.

_Enjoy~_

* * *

Yesterday evening was very, very stressful for the "babysitter" Pit. He and the children took a trip to the fall carnival on their off-day as planned, but things did not go as smoothly as he had hoped. It was an unlucky day for all six of them:

In the first ten minutes, Toon Link had gotten a round, red balloon from a kind, elderly stranger. Second later—while fooling around with it—he accidentally released it into the air, throwing a very public fit. To pacify him, Pit won him a couple balloons—each one being pink, blue, green and yellow—but poor, little Toon Link wouldn't take them. He wanted _red—_which was odd, Pit figured that he'd jump immediately on the green one_._ If that wasn't bad enough, when they stopped for Popo and Nana's favorite ice cream to cheer him up, Popo dropped his and was sour the entire day as everyone else ate their snacks around him. Pit would've bought him another cone, but he ran out of money paying for their tickets and Toon Link's balloons that he didn't want. Lucas got a tummy ache, violently upchucking an icky, yellow-ish liquid… he ate a lemon-flavored Italian ice treat before getting on the Tilt-A-Whirl. Nana went missing moments after as Pit rushed to get the little blonde some water. After ten minutes of searching, the crew found her on a bench, clutching her stuffed duck that the angel won for her. She claimed that she mistakenly dropped him; boy, did she get a lecture from Pit. He had almost gotten a light heart attack…

Out of all the five children, Ness surprisingly came out to be the only one who didn't have an incident.

Four hours of screaming, moaning, whining and complaining.

An utter cacophony.

That morning, Pit and the tykes conjugated in his dorm before heading downstairs for breakfast. He apologized to them…

"…Yesterday probably wasn't a fun day for you guys, and I apologize."

They looked to the floor, the little faces riddled with disappointment. Pit sighed, slouching a bit… but suddenly thought of a little something that he knew would brighten their day!

"_Hey!_ After the battles, why don't we all come over to my room and have dinner?! _I'll make Nanatan _(1)_ with caramel dip!_"

"_NANATAN?!_" they happily gasped, the five sets of eyes growing wider and wider.

Pit waved his finger, "_If_ all of you eat well…"

"_YAY! NANATAN!_"

The tiny Smashers hopped around like little, exploding popcorn kernels in a microwave, putting a content grin on the angel's face.

…_Now that's more like it. _

There was a soft rap at the brunet's door… he could hardly hear it with all the screaming and ruckus the kids created. Pit weaved through the sea of small children and twisted the knob.

"Yes—?"

Link, who still wore his appealing maid outfit, stared Pit down with his wide, adorable… _watery_ eyes?

Pit's upper lip twitched while many a thoughts—and ideas—floated freely into his mind. Many… head-scratching, lip-licking, tongue-biting thoughts.

"_Oh_…" Link looked beyond the angel and into his dorm where he spotted the kids playing, "…Am I interrupting something?"

"_Ah_—_N__o!_"

"Okay… _Umm…_ Do you… _have time?_"

"_Err_—Yeah! I have time!! All the time in the world!"

"...Okay."

Pit—seeing that he'd just made a fool out of himself—hurried to get back to the kids, "_O-One second!_" He shut the door, caught his breath, and pressed his entire body against it and wiped his nose with the back of his hand.

There was no blood

_Phew… thank goodness._

What was Link dong wearing something like… _that?!_ Did he lose a dare to one of the princesses? Pit knew with complete certitude that the blonde male would not dare step into the coral, frilly threads without a fight! But most importantly, what did he want? Wasn't he just snapping at him with angry, hurtful words less than twenty-four hours ago? Why the sudden change? Did he forgive him that quickly? Pit didn't have to time to think of answers for these questions… the children were growing restless by the passing minute.

"Pit? Who's that?" Ness asked.

"Probably Link! _His face is red!_" Nana pointed out, smiling.

"_Piiiit_… I'm hungry...!" whined the little swordsman.

"Um… _alright!_ Hold on a sec, okay?"

Pit opened the door to a small crack, "Let me get the kids down to breakfast…"

"…Okay."

The winged male gently stared at him for a few moments before shutting the door.

_Palutena… Why does he look so… sad?_

"…Lucas?"

The very petite blonde looked up…

"Hmm?"

"Hey…" the brunet kneeled to the floor, "…Your stomach's feeling okay?"

"_Mmhm_."

"_Good!_ Look, I have a job for you. A very, very_ big_ job that I know only you can fully carry out!"

Lucas corrected his body posture, straightening up as Pit's words caught his attention. _A duty?_ The angel was giving him a job?

"_Eh?_"

"Yep! I'm putting you in charge of leading Nana and the others to the cafeteria. I chose you because I feel that out of all five of you,_ Lucas_ is the most responsible! _But don't tell the others that! They might get mad at me…!_ Link's waiting for me behind the door; he wants to talk to me about something. I think it's very important, and I don't want to hold you all here…"

"_Ohh_… I see."

"So, you think you can do that for me?"

Lucas thought about it… but Pit received his answer when he saw the widest smile appear on his tiny mouth.

"Yes! _I can do it!_"

"_Thank you!_ I'm counting on ya! _Don't let me down!_"

"I won't!"

The blonde psychic, with an authorized voice that reflected Pit's, organizationally rounded all of his friends up and led them down to the cafeteria. The older males saw the little ones off, the winged boy taking much pride in the young ringleader.

He knew he had it in him all along…

"_Sorry_… They were getting a little impatient."

"I-It's fine…"

"_Well… um…_"

Pit slowly opened his door. Link, hesitant, stepped through, accepting the invitation. He was astounded by the angel's pad: everywhere his eyes mindlessly wandered there were images of his goddess. Nifty figurines—ones that you'd probably find in antique shops—dangled decoratively from the walls, ceiling and on some of his shelves. Others rested peacefully on his fancy, glass table. Vases, weapons and even paintings that contained a few lines of ancient scriptures that the blonde couldn't decipher suspended from his four walls. With all of the kids filing in and out of his dorm each day, Link wondered how he kept all of his expensive things _intact_.

Pit had a very sophisticated, spiritual-like domain, but what would plague Link for the remainder of his time in the dorm were those empty, blank walls begging for a paint job. A magnificent room, but no color complemented it, whatsoever.

"Y-You can sit anywhere…!" Pit announced, not used to the blonde's presence.

Link silently took his spot on the cream, beige couch… the material felt comfortably silky. Pit journeyed into his kitchen, pouring himself a cup of lemonade.

"W-Would you like something to drink?" he hospitably asked, reaching into his cupboard for another mug.

"_No_… but thank you."

"_Alright_…_!_"

With his glass mug in hand, Pit sat on the complete opposite side of the couch. Link stared blankly to his elegantly gloved hands better than the angel's silent walls could ever do… This gave the angel a little time to soak in his… questionable apparel. Pit quietly sipped on his icy-cold beverage, starting from his shiny, pink shoes.

_Link has a really small foot… I would imagine him to be at least a size bigger._

_No matter, I think small feet are adorable. _

_The stockings… they are kind of like Palutena's! But I think I like them on Link more… _

Pit roughly shook his head…

_Goddess, rid me of these thoughts!_

"_I'm sorry_," Link spoke up.

Pit blinked.

"I'm sorry for calling you a liar. _I was wrong_. I was wrong about… _a lot of things_."

"_I-It's okay!_ You don't have to apologize—!"

"—No. _I have to._ You were right, Pit. I_… I don't know Marth and Ike as well as I thought_."

Link slowly massaged his ring-less finger, finding it very hard to swallow.

"Did… something happen?" inquired a nosy Pit, cleverly noticing this sly action.

"You didn't hear us yelling just now?"

"'_Us_'?"

"Yeah… Ike and I?"

"You and Ike? _Yelling?_"

_A Few Minutes Ago…_

"_Stop following me, Ike!_ I don't want anything to do with _you_ or that damned prince anymore!"

"_Stop saying things like that!_ And I would if you'd just slow down and listen to me!"

"_I'm not hearing it!_"

Two men—one in PJ's and the other dressed as a housemaid—were causing commotion on the third floor of the Smash mansion. Their meddling comrades, who were woken by the shrieks from Link and the booming base from Ike, poked their heads out of their doors, tuning in to the argument. Princess Peach—who was also the princess of gossip—happened to be one of them… She had a feeling that _this_ would be her biggest scoop yet.

"Baby, _please—_" Ike tried holding his hand again, hoping to get a different result.

And he did this time—he was _powerfully_ slapped.

The hallway gasped.

"_I TOLD YOU NOT TO TOUCH ME_."

Link sharply turned on his heel and proceeded into making it into his dorm room. Ike was dazed a little bit, but quickly dusted himself off and resumed in capturing his irate "maiden".

"LINK, _GODDAMNIT_, I'VE TAKEN ALL OF YOUR SLANDER! YOU CAN AT LEAST GIVE ME A CHANCE TO DEFEND MY ACTIONS!"

"'_DEFEND YOUR ACTIONS_'?! WHAT?! WERE YOU BOTH _DRUNK_ FOR EIGHT MONTHS AND COULDN'T STOP FUCKING EACH OTHER?!"

"_IT WASN'T ABOUT SEX!_"

"_OH_, SO YOU TWO ACTUALLY HAVE A _RELATIONSHIP?! YOU HAVE FEELINGS FOR HIM! I KNEW IT!_"

That was something Ike couldn't deny. He loved Marth. He loved Link, too. But you can't have two lovers… you can only have _one_. He knew that, also… and that's what pissed him off. Ike growled, frustrated with his own thoughts... He snatched Link up, and nearly shook his small body to death.

"I LOVE_ YOU!_" he shouted through his teeth, "I LOVE _YOU_, LINK!"

"I TRUSTED_ YOU_, IKE! I TRUSTED YOU _AND_ MARTH! AND _WHAT _DO I GET?BOTH OF YOU TOOK ADVANTAGE OF ME; _YOU TOOK ME FOR GRANTED!_" he wiggled like a fish taken out of its aquatic environment, "_AND—DAMNIT_—_LET ME GO!_ GET YOUR _DISGUSTING _HANDS OFF O' ME!"

His wiggles of protest only made Ike hold him as tight as his strength would allow.

"_NOT UNTIL I GET A SAY IN THIS!_"

"_YOU DON'T!_" Link hollered, electric blue irises in flames, "AND I DON'T WANT YOU TOUCHING ME EVER AGAIN! _I HATE YOU!_"

The on-looking Smashers gasped again.

Those three, powerful words drained Ike of all the strength he had. Link freed himself from his now ex-lover's arms as they had weakened… as everything in his body weakened.

_No… _

"You… you don't… _mean_ that…"

Link, realizing the sudden utterance of what just left his lips, was in complete shock, too. He didn't even like to use those words, but he wouldn't have said them for nothing…

"…When I stop and think about all the times that you've looked me into my eyes and told me those bold-faced lies… all the nights that I spent lying awake in bed, wondering where you were… wondering when you'd come back to me like you promised… Then yes, _I do mean it_. I hate you so much right now, Ike… and I should've known you were up to something. But I _trusted_ you, and not once did I ever doubt your whereabouts. I didn't have to. _You promised me that I was the only one in your life and no one could ever come close to taking my place_… but it all makes sense now. Prince Marth… You_ love _him_, don't you?_"

Ike bit the fleshy insides of his bottom lip…

"_Just… _just say it. What are you afraid of? _What have you got to lose?_"

"…_You_."

"…_Me?!_"

Link sighed, rubbing his forehead. He didn't look up to meet the emotionless pair of eyes…

"…_Don't you understand, Ike?_" he suppressed a pitchy sob, "_I know you love him; I can see it in your eyes… on your face… and in your pleas_. _It's_… _It's there_… _and… and it_ _hurts_…"

Link turned away as he approached his door…

"…_So __I hope that you two will go on and have the life that I've apparently been keeping you from for the past fourteen months…_"

And that's where Link wanted to leave it, but he couldn't say the same for his persistent ex-partner.

"So what_…_ _this is it?_ _We're through? Just like that?_"

Link didn't answer. He twisted the bronze knob…

"_Link… I love you!! How many times must I say it?! You want me to get on my hands and knees?! You want me to grovel at your feet and beg for forgiveness?!"_

_He wouldn't…_

But when the blonde about-faced, he found Ike down on his knees, peering up at him with desperate, cerulean eyes. He grabbed his hands and held them between his own, kissing them… _shaking_ them.

"—_Listen to me_. I don't want to lose you. _Y-You're my world._"

"You'relying_." _

"_No I'm—Link. Just_… J_ust come here_. _Come here and I'll explain everything._ _E__verything will be alright_—"

Ike tried to embrace him, but Link pushed him away.

"—_No!_"

"_Link,_" he cried, "_I'm sorry!_"

Were those… _tears?_

"_Were you sorry when you were plunging into his pretty, royal ass?! Were you sorry when I found you recently locked in his legs, kissing and… an' biting his ears?! _Did you ever stop and think what the consequences would be?! _Did you…_ _D__id you ever stop and think about how this would make me feel?_ How this would completely_ destroy _me? _Did you…?_"

Links soft-boiled eyes softened ever the more as he peered down into the emotional eyes of his... His... What is he now? Is he still his lover? Was he his friend?

"_I always thought about you! There wasn't a second that went by where I didn't feel guilty!_"

"_IF YOU FELT SO GUILTY THEN WHY DIDN'T YOU STOP SEEING HIM?!_"

Their quarrel on this topic didn't last very long. Link, fed up with Ike's meaningless excuses, locked himself away in his dorm. The forlorn, indigo-haired traveler banged on the wooden barrier—the sight brought tears to the pink princess's big, aquamarines. She watched the mercenary beg pridelessly for the man concealed on the other side of the door…

Inside, Link cuddled with his covers, holding his welling tears and refusing them escape. After what felt like hours and hours of ineffective pleading and knocking, Ike hung his head in defeat, running both of his red-knuckled hands into his messy locks.

_God… what have I done? What have I done, what have I done…? _

Not only did the question run in his mind, but in the minds of thirteen entertained Smashers whose eyes stuck on him flies on flypaper. The whole, dramatic scene was like one straight out of a soap opera… He noticed this—already enraged—and blared angrily,

"WHAT THE _FUCK_ ARE YOU ALL LOOKING AT?!"

The hot wind from his scream alone shut everyone's door.

...Some little voice in the back of his conscious told him that he had just lost the best thing that would ever happen to him…

Ever.

_End Flashback…_

"No wonder you didn't hear us, you're on the third floor…"

"So… you and Ike—"

"—We broke up."

Pit wanted to make sure he was hearing right.

"So you're not…?"

"…a couple?" Link chuckled, but it wasn't a joyous one, "_Yeah_… that's about right."

(**A/N:** A Chibi Pit celebrates here, or so I would imagine xD)

Pit couldn't believe his ears. The day he had been praying Palutena's ears off for had finally come? _And this fast?!_

The inseparable couple of the Smash mansion was no more?!

_This has to be a dream… why, I thought this day would never come! Never! Could this be one of your doings, goddess?! You haven't forsaken me, after all… Forgive me for ever doubting you. I'm… I'm so happy I don't know what to do with myself! This is great! Fantastic! This is—! This is—!_

The angel glanced over to the man beside him, mirroring his inner emotions with smiling, pink lips, but the expression gradually melted away when he saw the hands of his precious cupping his face.

"…_I don't understand_," the blonde muttered with a sniffle, "I mean… what have_ I_ done to deserve _this?_ _Whatever did I do? _Am I being punished for being a good lover…? _A good friend…?_ _What did I do…? What did I do?!_"

Pit bowed his head a degree lower.

_How selfish of me... Selfish, selfish, selfish. I'm glorifying what Link's hurting over._

The archer fell silent except for a few hiccups here and there, Pit uncertain of what to do next.

_Do something_, scolded his conscious, _be of use to him! He came to you after all! Comfort him for goodness sake! You're an angel, aren't you?! Don't angels comfort those in pain?!_

The encouraged brunet clenched his small fists.

_Yes! I shall comfort Link!_

"_W-Well! _The way I see it, you did nothing, Link!" the angel cheeped, inching closer and closer to his beloved who gradually came out of his hands, "Y-You did all of the things that a lover and a best friend should do, _and more!_ Ike and Marth…? _Umm…_ I can't really speak for them, but going by their actions I would say that they didn't appreciate all that you've done for them… they didn't appreciate… _you_. You did nothing wrong, Link… _nothing_."

Link blinked, staring the very close Pit into his honest, sparkling eyes, "_But_… _But why?_ If I gave him everything—If I gave_ them _everything_, _then why would they do this to me?!"

If Pit gave him an answer that the blonde did not agree with, he feared that he'd bite his head off. Link hungrily gazed into his orbs as if only they bore the answer he had been seeking…

"I… I'm sorry, but_… I don't think I can answer that…_"

The Hyrulean graciously slumped over, massing his now aching forehead with great pressure. "_Why…?_" he humbly croaked with a dry face, thankfully. Seeing tears drip from such a beautiful face was something that Pit couldn't tolerate. To prevent this, though, he set all of his nervous jitters aside, and scooted as close to the shaking man as close as he could. Link's smooth thigh brushed against the angel's; that was as intimate as it was going to get.

"_Hey_…" spoke the brunet, placing a warm, gentle hand upon his dearest's back. The blonde took a minute to relax, melting from the harmless touch. Encouraged by this positive reaction, the angel then slowly stroked the emotionally tired muscles underneath up and down… up and down.

"_It's okay_," Pit assured with a whisper, "It's okay_, _Link_. It's okay_."

Link wanted to believe those words that flowed effortlessly from the winged boy's lips like golden honey… God knows he did. But while his world—the world that he spent a little over a year of creating—came crumbling down to his feet before his very own eyes as if all of his hard work meant nothing, it was hard to believe… _anything_. As blue, emotional eyes grew warm, Link laid his heavy, blonde head upon the inviting shoulder of his friend, quaking as if he had chills.

But he refused to cry.

"_I don't understand, Pit… I don't understand a-any of this._"

The angel naturally coiled his arms about the broken, wavering body holding him for the second time in his life. If only he were happier… but Pit felt needed. And he was, because right at that very moment, Link needed him. He felt it in his soul; he felt it in the two arms that tightly embraced him back. Link needed him there to tell him that everything—_no_—that _he_ was going to be _okay_.

"_Honestly_, I think Ike's a fool. _A fool, a fool, a fool_. A very, very _big_ fool," the celestial being stated, sighing. He buried his pointy nose into the bushel of golden-spun hair, chanting his same, two, comforting words…

_And I thank him for being a fool…_

Pit gave the small body a light yet sensible squeeze…

…_because he has brought Link into my arms. _

"Link is such a_ wonderful_ person... a _wonderful_, _wonderful_ person. Caring, kind… and _wonderful_."

…_Wonderful person_, Link said to himself, nuzzling deeper into the comfortable arms of his angelic friend, _at least someone appreciates me_.

The angel held the warm body in his arms for what felt like an eternity… a blissful eternity. Link was so warm, so comfortable… his fine hair smelled of spring. To hold Link like this, to be located in an intimate setting with just the two of them... it was all too surreal. It was… beautiful. Memorable. Cherish-able. A personal milestone was accomplished for the celestial being…

His little fantasy ended when reality came to be. A barely audible snore emitted from Link's plump lips; that could only mean one thing. He had fallen asleep…

…in Pit's arms.

"_Link…?_"

The brunet gently lifted his head… then sharply inhaled.

_His sleeping face…_

It was… _criminal_.

Why Ike gave up seeing a face like this every night Pit didn't know; he wanted to nestle the blonde to bits!

_Falling asleep on me of all people… Did he stay up late? _

The angel kept wondering as he pulled hair out of his placid, gorgeous face.

_I would guess so… Maybe he needs a proper rest. Sleeping on a small couch wouldn't be as comfortable… _

Pit blushed at the long, voluptuous lashes, _I would much rather stay here… but the children… they might need me. _

With one last, feather-light stroke of the blonde's rosy cheek, the angel carefully carried his light, napping crush into his room bridal style, setting him upon his own bed. Link squirmed a little, rubbing his legs together as he sought warmth. Without waking his precious, Pit removed his shiny shoes and headband, placed them in a safe place, and retrieved for him a snug, cozy blanket made of material that was even softer than his own feathers. He truly treasured the blanket; only Link was special enough to share its amazing comfort. The brunet shook it a couple times—it's been a while since he'd last used it—then tossed it over Link's body, watching it slowly float down onto the sleeping, peaceful frame. The archer wriggled, mewling lightly in contentment.

Pit tip-toed to the edge of the bed, taking a final peek at the flawless face of the man he loved ever so dearly. His cheeks… so prominent, so flush… practically begging to be kissed.

_Hmm_.

One kiss wouldn't hurt.

xXx

"_Will our next contestants please step forth: Lucas, Mr. Game & Watch, Pokémon Trainer and Wario! Please report to the center of the stadium!"_

Lucas hopped up.

"_That's me!_"

"Be careful out there, Lucas!" warned an alarmed Pit. The other little ones wished their friend the best of luck and resumed play fighting in the grass. The angel relaxed with a warm smile on his lips, flipping open his novel as he continued reading. Well, not exactly. Words and thoughts weren't being processed in his cluttered brain, because all he could think about was that blonde beauty settled in _his_ room, sleeping on _his_ bed, cloaked in _his_ special blanket…

He giggled behind his book; just thinking about it made him giddy.

"_Piiiit!_" called a sweet voice.

The preoccupied boy glanced up from beneath his book.

_Princess Peach? Zelda?_

"Hi, honey! How are you?" greeted the blonde princess.

"I'm doing well," he replied.

"_Splendid!_ Well… um… have you by any chance seen Link? Zelda and I can't seem to find him anywhere..."

"Link? _Uh_… Yeah. I've seen him."

Princess Zelda thrust forth.

"_Where?!_"

Pit gulped, "_Ah_… He's still in the mansion. H-He doesn't feel well."

She lowered her intense gaze to the angel; Peach sweetly pat her petite shoulder.

"Oh… so I take it that you know what's happened between—"

"—He and Ike? _Yes_… I know. Link told me just about everything," the young male said.

_The word is spreading faster than I thought…_

"_Link…_ Such a thing happening to a sweet, sweet person—"

"—_After all he's done for them!_" blurted an argumentative princess, the tips of her pointed ears glowing bright scarlet.

Peach was reluctant to tell her royal acquaintance about what went down in the hallway because of her fierce, protective attitude towards those who dared to harm her "little brother". _No one _messed with Link's feelings. Now that she's learned that Ike has practically screwed Link over and Marth's been using his trust and kindness to sleep around with what was rightfully his, she was ready to rip anyone's head off.

"Where is Ike?!" she demanded to know, her long, lustrous hair flying everywhere as she twisted about for the mercenary. Pit had never seen the woman so… so… angry. She was regularly very sweet and quiet. Obviously when Link came into the equation, everything changed.

The mushroom princess gently held back her steaming friend.

"_Um—Dear! _Let's not be so haste! Ike already has enough on his plate as it is!"

"_As if Link doesn't!_" Zelda snapped, "Pit! Take me to him! He probably needs someone to talk to...!"

"He's kind of… _sleeping_… right now."

"He needs a little time to himself, Zelda. I'm sure he has a lot on his mind, already."

The protestant princess folded her arms… but she understood the point that her blonde friend was trying to get across. Pit was warmed by her concern for Link…

"_How could I have let this happen to him…? How could I have been so blind?_"

Peach affectionately embraced the princess, "_Sweetheart!_ Ike's a sneaky bastard; none of us would've expected this! Not even Link! But I can't say that Ike didn't love him. _The man was_ _on his knees_… I don't think he's the type of guy who'd do that for just anybody. _But who needs him, anyway?!_ Link has two princesses, an angel and a whole entire mansion full of friends that love him very much! And that's all the love that anyone could ever need!"

Pit agreed with the pretty-pink princess, but suddenly felt someone tug at his toga. He peered down…

"_Pit!!_ Pit, I won!! _I beat Wario!_" shouted Lucas, hopping up into the air.

"_You did?!_"

"You shoulda saw how he socked Wario right in the mouth!" said an amused Popo, swinging his mini, wooden hammer.

The angel launched Lucas into the air; it had been a while since he'd won a match.

"_That's great!_ I'm very, very proud of you!"

"_Hee...!_"

Ness pouted, "Hey! _I wanna plane ride!_"

"_Me too!_" ordered Toon Link. All four huddled around him, their sharp, tiny voices accusing the winged male of favoritism and inequality.

"_Alright, alright!_ You all will get your plane ride!"

"_YES!_"

Peach and Zelda snickered to themselves. Pit caught on. He set the blonde onto the lush grass to rejoin his tussling buddies.

"_Hm?_ Did I miss something?"

"Looks like you have lots of 'plane rides' to get to… _Mama Pit_," Peach teased, daintily skipping away.

"'_MAMA PIT'?!_"

xXx

Pit had to stop by the supermarket to pick up a dozen apples and caramel dip for the promised _Nanatan_. He and the children conjugated in his dorm room, all of them playing and doing who-knows-what in a separate room. Throughout the day, Pit frequently glanced up from his book to the grand double doors, wondering when his beloved would emerge… but he never did. Link—much to his surprise—was still sound asleep on his bed, snoozing like the angel he was.

The angel decided that he would not disturb his rest and made sure that the little ones did not infiltrate his room.

"'_Chicken Lasagna_'…" murmured Pit flipping through one of his many cookbooks, "…sounds good. Of course I'll have to replace the spicy peppers with something else for Popo and Nana. But I'll find something to substitute it with… I'll try it."

Without tearing his eyes away from the book, he reached to his left for his apron, but only grasped air.

…_Huh?_

He looked to his left this time, finding anything but the cream-colored apron.

_That's right… I did laundry the other day. Maybe I mistakenly put it in my drawer—I have a habit of doing that._

"Toon Link?" beckoned Pit. The pitter-patter of the little swordsman's feet down the hall told him that he had indeed heard him.

"Yes?!"

He kneeled to the floor, "Do me a favor, will you? Go into my room; on your right hand side you will see my dresser against the wall. Look in the very bottom drawer and you should see that apron that I always wear—it should be on top of all the rest of my shirts. If you can't find it, then report back to me, okay?"

Toon Link puffed out his chest as he saluted the captain.

"Yes sir!"

Off he went, zooming down the narrow hall and into Pit's sacred domain that he was rarely allowed in. It was eerily dark with the enormous curtains closed, but the little blonde had no problem whatsoever finding a large lump taking up space on the full-sized bed… a large, breathing lump. Like any other curious child, the blonde put the angel's request on hold for just a minute to investigate and carefully approached the hump. His small hand reached for the silky blanket to unmask the mysterious… well… _who_ or _whatever_ it was.

…_A pink dress?_

Link felt an icy draft come across his bare legs.

"…_Mmn_."

Toon Link instantly froze.

_Crap!_

Terrified, the boy zipped out of the room and into the play room with all of his friends. Ness realized his friend's irregular breaths and immediately became concerned.

"What's up with you, Toon Link?"

After a few minutes of huffing and puffing, the blonde replied softly with, "There's a sleeping lady wearing a pink dress in Pit's room!"

"Lady? Pink dress? You sure it's not Princess Peach?"

"I… I don't know who it is. I saw the pink dress and… and then she moved and I got scared…! I thought she'd wake up and hit me!!"

Ness pointed to the blank ceiling, "_Let's figure out who this mysterious lady is!_"

Toon Link returned to the dark, gloomy room, this time with his hat-wearing pal. He warned him to keep quiet for Pit did not know that they were bothering his "guest", and had only given him permission to enter his room. He could get into lots of trouble if the angel discovered him doing both. Ness took a peek under the thin, soft sheet.

"_...That's a pink dress, alright! It's different from Princess Peach's… so it can't be her. We saw princess downstairs!_"

"_Well… who is it?_"

Slowly, Ness peeled back the blanket—Link had it up past his chin. What he found… _befuddled_ him.

He bonked little Link on his head.

"_Ow!_"

"_You idiot! You don't even recognize your own look-alike?!_"

"_What?!_"

"_It's Link!_"

The profound psychic pushed his friend a little closer to the snoozing blonde for a close up.

"_Link?! But—But why is he wearing a dress?!_"

"_I don't know_," said Ness, giggling lightly, "_but it's kind of funny! We should show the others!_"

Toon Link—hesitant at the idea in the beginning—let his mischievous side get the better of him, and ended up crowding around Link with all the chortling, giggling Smashers.

Pit knew something was up. The noises he was hearing from the play room had ceased. He had given Toon Link a simple task; it wasn't difficult, he knew that. He didn't like cooking without an apron, and so decided to see what was holding the blonde up.

He found out seconds later, utterly horrified.

"_NANA! POPO! TOON LINK! NESS! OUT! OUT NOW! OUT, OUT!_" he yearned to yell, but kept it low for his beloved's sake. The strain on his face told the children that he was dead serious and out they scrambled… Toon Link the fastest.

"Mmmmn_… hah_."

Link sluggishly sat straight up, rubbing the sleep out of his beauteous eyes.

"Ahh! Link! I-I'm sorry! Did they wake you?"

He smacked his lips, looking over to the angel with sleepy orbs.

"_Huh?_ I didn't hear a thing..."

Pit's cheeks tinted a little...

"_Oh_... the kids. They were here a couple seconds ago."

"..._How long did I sleep?_"

"Uh... pretty long. I-I would've woken you up when the matches started, but... you..." he turned away, "...you looked tired."

Link's eyes widened as big as the rising moon outside.

"_What?!_ You're telling me I slept through all the matches?!"

_...I hope he's not mad at me._

Pit nodded.

"Wow... Surely all the noise would've woke me—"

"—_I'm sorry!_"

"Huh?"

"_I'm sorry for not waking you up!_"

"No... It's alright! I'm a little glad that you didn't. _If I saw Ike or Marth's face again..._"

Then that sad, piteous face took over his strong features... the one that Pit hated. The one that he wished he could kiss away.

"After all, I should be the one apologizing for napping on your bed."

"Ah! No! It's fine—!"

"—I should really get out of your hair."

Link crawled down from the bed. He neatly folded Pit's feathery blanket, found his matching shoes and headband and then thanked his angelic friend... with a warm hug.

"Thanks, Pit. _Y'know_... for being there... and all."

"You're welcome!"

The blonde waved to the cowering children behind the angel's legs kindly, then shot him a smile that would have regularly send him landing an all five of the tykes, but this smile was different...

It was...

...fake.

"_L-Link?!_"

Link turned around.

"I-I'm cooking dinner... Would you like to stay...?"

"...Thanks... but no thanks. I-I have food in the fridge that I need to eat up."

Food that he knew he wasn't going to eat; he didn't feel like eating anything.

His suppressed emotions wouldn't allow it.

xXx

As Link walked down the corridors he was clobbered with nosy Smashers who were headed down to dinner. They gave him blatant looks of sympathy, and it drove him crazy. He didn't need their pity! He was perfectly _fine!_

_Fine!_

Link thought about it for a moment...

_...Fine._

He would have to define that term later.

"_Are you okay_, Link?" asked Samus.

"If there's anything ya need, we're all here for you!" promised Sonic, who witnessed the infamous hallway scene.

Ganondorf, however, simply laughed at Link, but what more could you expect from your enemy? He paid him no mind. Zelda and Peach pulled him aside and bombarded him with questions that took him five minutes each to answer... he felt like he was being interviewed. He was grateful for everyone's concern, but nearly tackling him to get answers was going overboard. It was like they'd never seen a couple break up before. Maybe they didn't expect Ike and Link to split any time soon... not after all that they've been through.

When he entered his own dorm, the second he shut his door, someone knocked as if they followed him right in. That was the last straw; he swore to himself that he was going to tell off the next person who bugged him about his ex-lover.

"_LOOK, I'M—!_"

...He blinked.

There appeared to be no one; he looked down.

Toon Link was sent by Pit to give Link a plate of food, a note and an apology for "invading his privacy".

"Oh—Hello there."

"P-Pit told me to give this to you," the young swordsman handed him the plate of food wrapped in tin foil and a little note, "And he told me to say 'I'm sorry', so... _Umm_... I'm sorry for bothering you when you were sleeping..."

"Oh. _It's alright_, Toon Link. No big deal, really. And tell Pit that I said, 'Thank you'."

Link placed his plate on his kitchen counter as read the note written on beautiful stationery.

_Please eat something...  
I know you do not feel well, but someone once told me that just drinking coffee for breakfast wasn't nutritious!_

_- Pit :)_

He chuckled at the written emote, then removed the shiny protectant. Beneath it awaited a steaming hot square of chicken lasagna and two, adorable apple bunnies... He sat down to his small table with his plate. Across from him was an empty chair.

An eerie feeling, seeing that blank seat, but Link shrugged it off and began eating his hearty meal.

_Dear God..._

He took another bite of Pit's lasagna. It tasted better than his own! He scarfed it down in a matter of minutes, realizing that he was indeed hungrier than he thought. It actually felt good having something in his stomach opposed to going to bed with it empty. He softly laughed at the little fruit animals...

_Nanatan... I bet the children enjoy it._

After finishing his meal, the blonde put away his trash and immediately jumped into his cold sheets, shifting onto his right side. Link shut his eyes, attempting to make a peaceful transition into dreamland, but couldn't. Ike's kooky smile was magnified by a billion whenever he shut his eyes... The dorm was unfittingly quiet without that loud, obnoxious voice filling his ears. It was also strange without Ike's wonderfully strong arms trying to scoop him out of bed and swing him around when the only thing Link wanted to do was sleep.

And those... those teasing, rough lips that generated such vigorous kisses. The ones that always led to mind-obliterating sex.

The flustered archer buried is face deeper into his bloated pillow, groaning until his throat burned.

Now _Marth_ was going to have Ike's voice bug him all night long... he was going to have his arms wrapped around his beautiful body every night... and his lips... the lips that knew exactly what he wanted ninety-nine percent of the time...

The things that Link treasured most, they were _all _going to be _his_ now... not that they weren't before, but it was official now.

Marth had Ike _all_ to himself.

* * *

Well, there you have it!

Some **PitXLink**ness for ya.

Hokage's (_meaningless_) Points:

(1): _Nanatan_ is a little snack that housewives make (especially in Japan) for their children. They cut apples into shapes that resemble cute, little bunnies. I looked up some pictures of it; they look too cute to eat! The caramel dip? Not sure if they dip their apples in it over there, but it was my idea C: Yumm.

Let's get onto the reviews…

**Kurai:** Yeahh… I kinda got sick off Ike lying to Link, that's why the last chapter was so fun to write! YES! I like, gathered all the cats out of their little house, and put them all on the side walk! And I'd just run around and they'd be all like, "Mew, mew mew~" EEEEE.

**Lunar Guardian:** I hope this chapter wasn't as late. Tried to update as soon as I could, plus I'm working on another story =___= Multitasking is a pain. Lol, I have short, brown hair. Used to be shoulder length, but the long hair wasn't working for me so I cut it, but the damned beast grows back in like… a month = 3= ARABIAN COFFEE FRUIT!! 8DDD Catchy Cx Yeas… the mosquitoes and lip gloss analogy or… whatever it was. I read back over the reply and probably had the same images you did. _L-LinkXMaster Sword?_ What a lucky inanimate object… xDDD And Seme Snake? I'm not sure, he looks like the number one seme to me…

**Midnight Crystal Sage:** Pit: I'm scared, Midnai-chan… What if Link doesn't like me?

xDDD The angel asking out Link will be one difficult scene to write… I can feel it. But who said Pit was gonna ask Link out? Why not the other way around? e w e ANY-WHHHOO… YOU'RE WELCOME!! Thanks for reviewing my other piece of shit story! :DDD

**JtheChosen1:** :O I'm glad you like it. I do my best to please my readers, hearing this tells me that I'm doing a good job so far!! Thanks for the review! –gives you a M&M cookie-

**Gathouria:** My big sister… she isn't a blonde but she uses those "Blonde sayings" all the time! But I swear she is the dumbest, most ditzy-est person I've ever known! I mean, her IQ is the equivalent of the IQ of a candy bracelet, a shovel and a couple of Mexican Jumping Beans!! I'm serious! GAAH. I hope my chapters aren't too long to where you have to stay up and read them (I do that when I'm reading a story sometimes… or reading yaoi manga online, fu fu)! Oh~ so you and Lunar are sisters?! EXCITING! 8DDD I can kinda tell that you two are by the reviews that you give xD

**Invader Aqua:** "_GO PIT! Get your man!!_"

LOL xDDD Ike deserves neither! But… in this chapter don't you think he showed a little remorse. He begged Link for goodness sake! Link's got Pit to comfort him; Ike needs someone, too. Even though he totally broke the most sexiest character in all of Nintendo's heart (Link's from Nintendo, I'm pretty sure, too lazy to look at the Twilight Princess game case). It's only fair, I guess. You'll see in the next chapter. Oh! And thanks for the review in my other story!

**The Mad Joker:** Was it that obvious? Probably, since I did say in the last chapter's next chapter summary that Link would be dressing up, serving Ike breakfast in bed. So yeah. So all Pit has to do is comfort Link some more and then pop the question (not like… the "Marry Me" question, although that would be sorta cute… Pit and Link… married –gets all fuzzy inside- = w = Ike would probably be the one who shows up right when it's time to say "I OBJECT!" My, this is starting to turn into a fanfic idea)! I would've left Marth, too, if he forgot my birthday let alond VALENTINES DAY!

**Kufuffelupagus:** _Yesssssssss…_ –pins golden star stick on shirt- I'm sad for Link… and Ike, ironically. Marth? Well, I don't really feel anything, and he didn't show much in this chapter, but he will in the next one! I shall make more MarthXRoy scenes! I don't wanna bring Roy back so soon… but then again I want to (I make no sense)! IF I MADE YOU LATE FOR WORK THEN I'M SORRY!

**Rayestar Ikina:** Yesss, yesss… You have caught on. Roy is the reason for Marth's sadness, and Marth's self-absorbed attitude _MIGHT_ be the reason why Roy left. Keyword: MIGHT. I'm not going to announce what made him leave until _that_ chapter comes…

Hamlet, Hamlet… I was about to say, "I read that before!" But I was thinking of the book Hatchet xDDD Read that in fifth grade… buncha mumbo-jumbo to me, back then. Reminds me of last week, my friend who is reading Romeo & Juliet in his English class (I'm an English class above him and I've already read the book) asked me to do his homework for him because he couldn't understand Shakespeare's writing. At first I didn't want to do it. But he said he would give me five dollars if I did (the idiot). Five dollars to me is like… a million dollars. I don't keep money, at all. Spend, spend, spend is all I ever do. Our 6th Period class was ending, and I didn't get to finish putting Friar Lawrence's soliloquy in "Modern Language". But he got a "A-", and I got my five dollars, which I spent on snacks a few periods later.

Yep! Pediatrician! My dad has us (my siblings) thinking on what we wanted to be when we could barely read. 'Course I didn't want to be a pediatrician back then... I hate taking those tests where they tell you what career you should take on. One said I should be a surgeon. And get sued my millions of people for killing their loved ones? Hell no.

Chinese and Japanese. I don't have the time nor patience to sit down and learn ten-thousand characters… We have a choice to take Latin, German, Spanish or French. Spanish didn't interest me, and German…? Well, some of their words don't even resemble any of the English words! Like… swimming in English is spelled, "Swimming" and in German it's probably spelled, "Gveenkpskaa" or something like that! Grr… so I took French. Least some of the words look the same (I'm such a lazy person).

**Ernoma:** Uke Link = Drools. Oh! And I like the new chapter of L&F: Argument. So cute when Link tried to get Pit to kiss him… |D Adorableness. Oh yes! We should co-co-co write something (At first when I saw the "co-co-co" thing I was like, "_Whaaaat?_" But now I understand)! I would do Ike's character~ But it's totally up to you guys, that is, if you actually wanna go through with it.

**xXAngelic ScarsXx:** I talk to my stuffed animals/inanimate objects, too! I don't understand it either, how could Marth forget Valentines Day? AND THEN ROY'S BIRTHDAY! Yes, poor little Link blames himself. And this story is actually based off of what some evil ex-boyfriend did to me, too!

**iWaffle:** WEEE! It's so cute—the little kitties following Link around. Makes me wanna play Twilight Princess, but my brother got Sonic Unleashed for Christmas (which is a total rip off of TP if you think about it) so I'll have to wait. Bu. I like the doggie better; doesn't Link have one in his house?

**Sachiko V:** I KNOW. Writing all the Sub-stories made me sick, but I felt that they needed to be added so the chapter would make more sense. I GOT TEARY EYED WHEN I WROTE LINK WAITING FOR IKE AT THE LONELY DINNER TABLE! It was heart-squeezing. Marth is like one of those people that you can't stay mad at (in this fic, of course). But I wouldn't have forgiven him for forgetting Valentines Day and/or my birthday. When I first walked through the Town Square I was like, "Why are all these animals following me?" I took two steps at a time, and they continuously followed me. I squealed so loud when I realized that they were attracted to Link. EEE!

**Yukina99:** Ooou. I hope Ike feels better. He's a little broken-hearted, too, although it was him who broke Link's heart. He probably feels horrible about it.

**Flock o' Seagulls:** YES! I HAVE THAT CD! And it's true, especially the "Unfaithful" song for Ike and "Come On Get Higher" for Link (love that song, by the way)! OMIGOSH! I'M SO GLAD THAT I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE DOING THAT (beating up Ike and Marth on Brawl. I'm using Pit and sometimes I put Link on my team, so we beat them up together)! Hope this chapter brought you some satisfaction!

**Referee:** The chapter was a rather emotional one, wasn't it? I tried to make it that way since Ike and Link were breaking up, after all. And it's good to read the chapter over and over again, sometimes I have to do that, too, when I'm writing the next chapter~ Yes… MarthXSandbag. "_BELIEVE IT!_" xDDD _**UUUUUUUUUWWWWWWWWWWWWAHHHHHH~**_ YOU'RE MAKING A "QUILT" OF MY (pathetic) STORRRRRYYYYYY?!?!!? -is overwhelmed- I feel so… honored! And no, I don't mind the copyright thing at all :3 And I MUST have a sneak peek = w = It sounds really good! :DDD

**Lady Seraph:** Ha haa~ -sings- I'M SOMEONE'S GOOOOD-DDEEEESSS~ I STILL haven't played SSBM yet… but hearing from my brother he says that Roy is like a mini Marth xDDD YES! PAST EXPERIENCES WITH STUPIDS GUYS WAS MY INSPIRATION FOR THIS FIC! O w O I hope you liked this chapter!!! Thanks for reviewing~ -hands piping, chocolate chip cookie-

**DarkItachi22:** Did you enjoy your Pit-ness? His wing should get better after the next chapter, I predict. Ha, if Pit weren't strong, he would've probably been crying over losing Link. But I wanted him to be a little manly. Yes! I loved writing little maid Link~ His unique of making things better, dressing up for the one he loved.

e w e

First, I wanna thank Fanfiction for allowing the little squiggly lines in fanfics! These little guys, "~~~~". Because before, they weren't allowed, _but now they are!! _So I'm totally abusing the power!

- w -

_**Next Chapter… **_The entire mansion looks down on Ike as the word of the break up spreads, different versions of the story popping up everywhere told by the ones who witnessed the heart-breaking scene up close. Everyone coldly turns their back on the distraught mercenary, but only one person remains by his side.

Ike and Marth's side of the story~

Before I forget, I have another story that I'm workin' on. S'called "**Burning With Questions**". Some of you have already found it :3

It's an IkeXPit, MarthXPit, LinkXPit story. Interested? Check it out.

Well, anyway… until next chapter! I'll probably update somewhere around my birthday (January 12th!! :D)… or earlier.

Much Love,

HokageAkamaru


	15. Comfort: Ike

Title: A Lover's Brawl

Pairing(s): **IkeXLink**,** IkeXMarth**, Eventual** MarthXRoy**, Eventual** PitXLink**

Rating: M

**Full Story:** _Link has always been the quiet, shy type. That is… until Ike came into his life. Since then, Ike and Link have been an inseparable item ever since they've laid eyes on each other. Marth, coping with his broken heart after the disappearance of his very own lover—Roy—had secretly loved Ike from the beginning. But it was too late, Link was the only one on Ike's mind._

_With his seductive powers and body, he lures Ike to him, the both of them sharing many nights together. And ever since, Ike has not been able to let him—nor his delicious shape—go. Link is totally unaware of this, Ike constantly lying to him about his whereabouts to protect he and his prince's relationship. With whole-hearted trust, Link believes every single word._

_Marth wants a fully committed relationship with Ike—tired of hiding it—and he will do anything to get it, even if that means hurting one of the people that he loves the most._

_But there is one more person that complicates this plot._

_Someone who watches his crush from afar._

_(This story takes place after Super Smash Brother's Melee, the reason why Roy is "missing")_

**A/N: **School has started up again. It's time to get back into the rhythm of things. But only for six more months! _Woo!_

…

_That's too far off…_ - 3 -

If this update is late, then I blame it all on Exam/Midterm Week. And there's nothing better than having an exam on your birthday. It's like the school's way of saying, "Happy Birthday!" I should get excused from taking exams on that day. I'm that special.

:D

And speaking of my birthday…

_**Thank you so very much**_ for all the Happy Birthday wishes! :3 I certainly don't feel a year older (and I don't act like it, either), but chronically, _I guess I am._

-hands all reviewers/readers a slice of virtual birthday cake-

It's chocolate, by the way: Chocolate, Yellow cake! _My favorite!_

C:

_Hmm_… I think you'll like this chapter… which features:

**IkeXMarth **comfort**-**ness, _A PRESENT DAY DIARY ENTRY FROM __**ROY**__ (WHO IS ALIVE AND KICKING), _and a little **LinkXPit** cute/fluffiness.

In other words, _Enjoy!_

(Gomen for stupid, spelling/grammar mistakes)

* * *

It had been four days… the longest four days of Ike's life. Nothing appeared to go right for the mercenary; it was like he had been jinxed. Although that might have not been the case, his former friends treated him as an unwelcome guest. _No one_ had anything positive to say about him or_ to_ him. The entire mansion _adored_ their green-clothed hero, and if _anyone_ messed with Link, they might as well have messed with all thirty-five Smashers.

Prince Marth Lowell? He was given equal treatment by his peers. The only difference? The young prince tried his best to pretend that the whole ordeal between he, Ike, and Link never happened…

…which, _obviously_, was futile.

He tried numerous times to make friendly conversations with the other residents of the manor, asking self-explanatory questions. A prime example: yesterday he randomly greeted Falco and asked him what species of bird he was. Falco simply glared at him with his sharp eyes, muttered, "Idiot…" under his breath and walked away (1). He's always treated coldly by the blue bird. Why? He wasn't quite sure… Maybe it was something that he had done to him in the past.

The current relationship of the royal prince and the mercenary at this point?

Nonexistent; Ike had completely severed all ties with him. Marth hoped that it was only because he needed space. The prince respected his wishes, giving him plenty of it, but it drove him nuts not being able to be near Ike… let alone talk to him. Which was another factor in their relationship that was "nonexistent": communication. Ike hadn't said a word to him since they had been caught by the Hyrulean in that _telltale_ position. To the prince, it appeared as if the mercenary were purposely avoiding him. After four days of total isolation from the indigo-haired man, he was starting to believe that…

…And he was also beginning to believe that the entire break up was his fault when he could find no one else to blame. Who else _was_ there to blame? He was, after all, the one who seduced Ike in the first place...

But… he _loved_ Ike… Was it wrong to love him? Wasn't he free to love whomever he wanted?

The prince tried his best to keep himself together, to hold onto his last bits of sanity, but he feared that if he took one more day without hearing the taller man's voice, or seeing his stupid smile, or looking into those smiling, forgiving, crystal-blue orbs…

…he would lose it.

He missed Ike… and wanted him back.

xXx

It was breakfast time in the mansion. Marth—who slept in for the fourth time in a row—hit the snooze button on his alarm clock. Or smashed, I should say. In fact, he hit it so hard it jammed. Oh well… he could always purchase another one.

But he did not want to get up… not even to eat.

The prince sighed, removing his satin, pink sleeping mask as he sluggishly sat up.

Another day full of nasty glares from the Smashers and the audience, another day of draining battles where _everyone_ seemed to have the intent on_ killing_ him…

…and another day without a word from Ike.

Yeah… the usual.

But Marth was a man of action. He didn't like the way things were going so far, and he wasn't going to sit back and allow the "same old same old" to continue any longer. Ike was going to talk to him. Whether he wanted to or not didn't matter. Selfish? Yes, but he and Link's relationship had already failed… There was absolutely _no way_ that he was going to forgive him any time soon. But that didn't mean that his relationship with the tall mercenary—if there even _was_ one at this point—had to fail, too. He had already lost a very good friend… he didn't want to lose _two._

Marth took his routine shower—his shampoo of choice being "_Raspberry Rhapsody_", Roy's personal favorite, but he didn't choose it because of that—and carefully chose his uniform for that day. After minutes of thoughtful self-primping, he marched downstairs towards the café. Quietly, the prince pushed open the double doors; instantly, all seventy eyes stuck on him. Fifty-eight, actually: Link, Pit and the kids had finished their breakfast early and headed outside.

_Oh, it's only the Prince of Whores_, they all appeared to say, and returned to their light conversations about who-knows-what before the horns sounded. The prince casually walked over to the fresh fruit cart and stocked up on sugary strawberries. A muffin was added to his plate, and he grabbed a glass of milk before he left to find a table to sit at… which was a hassle itself. _No one_ _wanted Marth_—or Ike, for that matter—_sitting at their table_. It would show a sign of alliance, and not one person agreed with what he and the tall swordsman did to the blonde.

The prince stood next to the cart—nervously chewing on his lip—scanning for an available seat. There were empty tables, yes, but he didn't want to sit all by himself. That'd make him seem even more pathetic and hopeless…

…_Ike?_

Marth squinted, fixing his gaze onto the farthest table sitting in the shadows. It was Ike! He was sitting inside for once! The young monarch—with a skip in his step—took advantage of his rare, fantastic opportunity and quietly approached the lone mercenary.

"H-Hi…"

Ike looked up and over.

"Hello."

"_Um_… May I… _sit here?_"

"…Yeah," the indigo-haired man replied coolly. Prince Marth gave him a friendly smile—too bad he didn't see it. Ike's arms were tightly crossed, his back pressed firmly against the chair as he slouched, eyebrows tense, and his eyes were gently closed… as if he were meditating.

Maybe he _was_ meditating…

…or maybe he just didn't want to look at Marth.

The prince agreed with the second guess, but what startled him more was the crescent-shaped, red, untreated scar under his left eye. It was best not to ask him about how it got there and who caused it. Hopefully, Ike didn't do it… But he wasn't the type to purposely inflict pain upon himself…

Marth sank his fork into a strawberry, held it up to his glazed lips and slowly nibbled at its pointed tip, staring at the stone-silent man.

_I hope I am not bothering him. He looks a little irritated. _

"_Umn_—Very nice fall weather we are having, huh?"

"Yeah," Ike tastelessly agreed, eyes remaining closed.

The young prince could sense the negative vibes…

"It's so sunny outside… the sky is so clear… _Don't you just love fall?_"

"…I hate fall."

"Oh…"

Their stale conversation continued on like this for the remainder of the breakfast hour, which wasn't too long. Marth was doing all of the question-asking, while Ike simply answered with an uninterested "Uh huh", "Yeah" or "Sure".

Marth glanced outside the window, finding Pit, Link and the children. Link appeared to be chatting a bit with the angel while the kids played around the open field.

_Pit… You're so slick. _

When the matches began, the mercenary was summoned to the stage almost instantaneously. "Boo"s rung out as he climbed the stairs—majority of the crowd had already turned on him when they heard the news. A few of his loyal fans lingered, but instead of their boisterous cheers blocking out all of the others, they were undoubtedly quiet. Marth was showered with his share of "Boo"s, too, but they weren't as brutal as his comrade's…

The prince sat under a lonesome, remote, feeble tree, mindlessly picking petals off of dying flowers.

…This was no ordinary tree he was sitting under… Lots of events had happened under that tree.

It was, a _special_ tree, if you will…

…it was _Roy's_ tree.

Whenever the redhead wanted to be alone, he came to his very tree to refresh his mind, thoughts and body. Whenever Marth made him angry—commonly about small, petty things—the prince would _always_ find his beloved sulking under the tree with his arms folded as he refused to say a word to him. A stubborn boy was he. Marth thought the pout on his face was utterly adorable, which made it even harder for him to take the other swordsman seriously whenever they began to settle their dispute. But it didn't take long for the both of them to make up. All Marth had to do was squeeze him to smithereens, apologize, and wear that cute, innocent expression that Roy succumbed to time and time again… and he was happily forgiven. Link—who solved most of their romantic dilemmas—often caught them passionately making out as if there was no tomorrow under the tree shade when he went to check up on them. Such a sight made the Hyrulean happy, but he usually lost his appetite afterwards...

Roy was very grateful for his blonde friend; he didn't know what he'd do without him.

"He's always looking out for us, Marth_…_" the redhead would frequently remind him, "one day, I hope someone just as good as him comes along and treats him just as well as he treats us… he deserves it."

And a few months later, that little prayer was answered. Ike came along and swept Link off his small feet…

…Who knew that they would become so…_ happy_?

_And to think that I destroyed something so beautiful…_

Marth peeled off the last petal of the decaying daisy, sighing before he blew them into the dry air. A gentle, cradling wind picked them up, and whirled them off to another location… The prince peered up to the gray, discouraging, trans-winter sky.

_You got your wish, Roy… Are you happy now?_

_This entire charade has left me miserable._

_That's what you wanted, right?_

Although one thing was for sure: Roy certainly _would not_ be happy with him…

…_if_ he were here.

xXx

"I told him that I hated him."

Pit looked up to Link, who leaned against the tree's trunk. The blonde watched his former mate get roasted by Pikachu's thunderbolts on one of the many big screens. The electric, yellow mouse was getting his revenge on Ike for barking savagely in his face a couple days back…

"Huh?"

"I told Ike that… that I _hated_ him…" Link sank back onto the grass, sitting next to his friend, "_Was I wrong?_"

"Do you feel any remorse?"

"I… I… don't know. I just dislike saying 'hate' all together. I think it's a very strong word, and I don't use it freely... _But…_ he just made me so… _angry_."

"So you said it out of _emotion?_"

"I guess so… _Yeah…_ and maybe I didn't mean it because of that. I don't necessarily _hate_ him, I just _hate_ what he's done… _to me_."

Pit nodded, "_I see_."

"Do you think I should… _apologize?_"

"_Personally_, Ike should be the only one apologizing for what he's done… I mean, you have no reason to say 'I'm sorry' for anything. But… if you feel that you must apologize to him, then… _why not?_ It's your decision, in the end."

The two of them fell silent for a good minute.

"Have you used it before?"

"Hmm?"

"The word 'hate'… _Have you?_"

Pit blushed, looking into his lap, "Um… _Recently_."

Link smirked, "And to whom did the angelic Pit say he hated?"

"…Marth. _But—But only because I found out what he and Ike were doing behind your back!_" he shouted before he bashfully looked away from his crush, "…It angered me to learn such a thing was happening to you… and that there was nothing I could do to stop it…"

Link blinked at his friend's confession… suddenly feeling quite warm… and _appreciated_.

_Pit… He harnesses such a caring soul… he cares so much… about me… and my well-being. He's been with me for these past days, and I have yet to shed a tear… and it's all because of him. He's the one who has been keeping me strong through all of this… _

…_W__hy haven't I noticed it before?_

Without warning, Link roughly tackled his angelic buddy onto the grass, giggling softly with glee as he nuzzled his blonde head into his chest.

"_Urk!_"

"…_Pit cares about me a lot_," the ecstatic blondie said, looking his beet-red friend into his eyes while wielding the greatest, happiest smile he had ever seen him make that _week_. Pit produced that smile… that was _his_ smile that he had made. _His_ actions caused that very, beautiful grin to take over those luscious lips that's sole purpose was to make such a pleasing, cheerful expression… The winged male's internal organ mercilessly rapped against his chest, "Uh!! _Yeah!!_ Yes I do!!"

Link giggled some more, "…Thank you, Pit. You're a really good friend."

The blonde embraced him as he lay still in the prickly grass, Pit getting a little drowsy… He and Link were so close… closer than they had ever been in… ever. His crush's small, yet durable arms encompassing his itty waist drove him into a dreamy daze… His scent of nature and purity wafted from him and into Pit's nostrils, drugging him… making him weaker and terribly vulnerable.

_Link's body against mine… His tight embrace… His soft, fine hair… It all feels so good._

The angel closed his eyes, and slowly brought his arms up to embrace the man that he had lusted for since the day he saw him… to pull him closer so that he was sure to feel his burning heart fluttering with this unbearable feeling inside of him, when suddenly, Link snapped up and away from his body.

"_AH!_ I'm so sorry! _I forgot about your injured wing!!_"

Pit blinked.

"Huh? _Oh!! My wing!_ No!! _It's alright!!_ Um… I saw Doctor Mario yesterday. He said my wing was getting better, faster than he expected… Tomorrow I can take the bandages off and start fighting again if I pass this one, final check up…"

"_Really?_ That's great!"

"_Yeah…_"

A few minutes of silence…

"You are a good friend, too, Link."

The blonde archer smiled appreciatively, but then looked past the angel, an even bigger smile spreading slowly across his face.

"Huh?"

Pit turned around, and before he knew it, he was sent crashing onto the grass again, but this time by the hyper, pint-sized Smashers. Except for Lucas… He just sat back and watched, chortling also.

"_DOG PILE!_"

Pit smiled, "_You all are really heavy_… _I should stop feeding you so much_…"

The angel peeled them off one by one, ruffling all their heads.

"We got ya this time!" said Ness, wagging his finger.

The angel bent over, wagging back, "Oh, yeah? Well next time, how about I tackle all of you by surprise?!"

"_You'd kill us, Pit!_" Toon Link joked.

"Well you'd better run, then!" warned Pit, chasing after the little ones as he growled much like a rabid monster. Shrieks of laughter and terror from the children infiltrated the morning air; in the meantime, Link was left alone under the tree, flaunting a fresh, cherry-red blush…

…Pit had literally put his ass in his face.

xXx

Link, Pit and the children all ate dinner downstairs: the children sat at a separate table, while the blonde and brunet settled at a table not too far from the kids. Pit liked to keep a close eye on them, especially Toon Link who often played around with his food. He was having a very difficult time watching the little ones at the distant table for the past four days with Link now accompanying him.

"Have you seen Ike anywhere?" Link curiously questioned his angelic friend.

Pit took a small bite of his buttered roll before responding.

"_No…_"

As if he really _cared_ where that man was…

"_Oh_."

_A rather dumb question to ask… I haven't seen him eat in the cafeteria since… the incident. I'm not sure if he eats at all… but the sooner I apologize, the better. I'm only apologizing for saying 'I hate you', though, as if I have anything else to apologize for… I am very much still angry and hurt at what he and Marth have done…_

"I see you have a nice, big slice of apple pie there…" said Pit, with an amused smile, endeavoring to change the subject.

"_Heh_, yeah… _I love it_. It's going to take me glasses of milk to wash all of it down—_Ah!_ I forgot to get a drink! _Excuse me_…"

Pit took another bite of his sweet bread…

_Keeping Link away from the two that have caused him so much pain has had some positive impact on him… I would rather him not speak to Ike at all; that would only remind him why he's in the state he is in… That would only bring him more pain, and that's what I am trying to avoid… But he seems to really want to settle things with him. He's so kind… because that man deserves nothing._

Link pushed away from the table in haste and made his way to the drink stand. That haste caused him to accidentally bump into an unsuspecting person... and that unsuspecting person… was Prince Marth.

"_I-I'm sorry!_" he apologized, before acknowledging who he literally ran into. Prince Marth brushed past him, muttered a weak, "_Sorry_…", and whisked himself out of the double doors and into the hallway with his head lowered. Link gawked at those wavering doors for a moment, firstly wondering why he was so fidgety and why his voice sounded so… _fragile_. He looked back at his angelic, on-looking friend—who gave him a little shrug.

It was only instinctive for the blonde to worry since Marth's feelings were a vital part to him in the past, but now, he was sort of… happy. Was the prince feeling a little guilty about what he'd done?

Most importantly, where in the world was he going?

xXx

Ike—who showed up late for his last meal of the day—finished his dinner at a record time and burst through the doors before the café closed. He retired to his lonely dorm, took a semi-relaxing shower—thoughts of Link clouded his mind like the steam rising from the shower—and laid on his back… absolutely still. He thought deeply of the painstaking events that occurred to him days before. He had been doing much of this lately; how could he not? He basically lost… _everything_. His friends… his pride… his strength…

…the love of his life.

That, alone, was his everything.

"_Look at me, Ike! Look at what you're doing to me!"_

"_I DON'T WANT YOU TOUCHING ME EVER AGAIN! I HATE YOU!"_

"_I don't want anything to do with you or that prince anymore!"_

Ike released some biding, hot air through his flaring nostrils as he turned onto his side.

He now faced his dresser, and almost immediately noticed the strip of pictures from he and Link's first date together; he was looking over them the night before. He retrieved it, ogling over the six photos for the umpteenth time. He desperately wished that he had the power to travel back to that happy time… when everything felt so right… when everything went so well. He would definitely change a lot of things, but no matter how bad he wanted to undo the wrong and the hurt he's caused the archer… At the end of the day… he was still stuck in the present, incapable of taking _anything_ back.

Ike slowly ran his thumb over the smiling Link that looked back at him, and hummed, "_If I could take it all back… I would… in a heartbeat_."

The man sat up halfway and gently set his treasured strips of memorable pictures onto his dresser, stared at them for a few minutes longer, then laid back on his bed, gazing at his baby-blue ceiling. The soft color made him smile, remembering another fond memory.

He and Link had so much fun painting his walls! The mercenary was to paint one side of the dorm, while the archer occupied the other. Link began painting on the left side of the blank, flat surface and carefully worked his way over to the right. Ike, on the other hand, just made messy, random splotches all over his wall. The shorter of the two always finished before he did, and he _always_ ended up helping him out, going over his giggle-worthy mistakes with his own brush.

"_You've never painted before?"_

"_Eh… not really. I mean, it's kind of a sissy-ish thing to do…"_

He remembered Link freezing up, then seeing a sudden flash a blue. It didn't take him long to realize that Link had thrown his paint brush at him. He screamed at Ike at the top of his burning lungs, irate and offended, while the mercenary—who was literally "blue in the face"—stood there taking it… but with a witty, pleasant smirk present on his blue lips.

That only outraged Link more.

Ike couldn't hear a word—or chose not to—but little did Link know…

…Ike was slowly falling in love with him.

"—_AND FURTHERMORE, PAINTING IS AN EXPRESSION OF—!_"

"—_Ah_, quit your whinin' an' c'mere…"

Ike could recall pulling Link into his arms and surprising him once again with a kiss—their second kiss—his anger melting away at the soft, gentle touch of the man's pasty, blue lips. Link could taste the paint on his wriggling tongue, but that didn't stop him from kissing the man that he began to develop feelings for… The start of their relationship began in his very room… or, at least, that's what it felt like to Ike.

"_Umn—Very nice fall weather we are having, huh?"_

And then there was Prince Marth… what was his deal? As if things couldn't get any more complicated, he appears out of nowhere and asks if he could sit at his table… Now Ike had another conflict that he had to solve, and could was sure that he couldn't work his way around this one. What was he going to do with the prince? And how was he feeling about all this?

xXx

Marth read another one of Roy's journal entries to lift his low spirits. It was one of his favorite entries of all. He and Roy went fishing one day, the redhead catching a barrel-full of fish, where as Marth only caught a measly, golden guppy.

"_I teased him a little about his tiny catch," _he wrote_, "and he made the cutest, little face I had ever seen... 'One day my guppy will grow up to be a big fish! I hope he gets so big, that one day when we return to this lake he will remember what you said about him and gobble you up for making fun of him! Isn't that right, guppy?!' _

_He's so cute… I hope he never changes…"_

Marth slammed the thick diary shut, rocking back and forth, forcing his tears to remain at bay. No matter how much "Roy" he tried to fill his head up with, thought's of Ike easily flooded back into the mainstream of his crowded, corrupted brain.

There was only one way to solve this… and that was to confront the mercenary and question why he was behaving so mysteriously towards him.

Question was… did he have the strength to do it?

xXx

"_Boy_, am I tired…" moaned Link, rubbing his drooping eyes. He and the angel walked the empty corridor, Link already dressed in his pajamas. Pit made sure all the children were tucked away in their beds before he dared sleeping in his on regular days when the blonde wasn't with him. But this time he had his assistance. Link tucked away Nana, Toon Link and Ness whereas Pit took care of Lucas and Popo. The kids were all on separate floors of different wings, the angel having to climb up and down the staircase, but the amount of stairs were cut short with the blonde's help.

The two males were on their way to what would be Pit's last stop for the day—his dorm. He silently yawned, "…You didn't have to do that, you know..."

"But I wanted to help you. Climbing up and down those stairs… That sure is a lot of work," he replied.

"Oh, well, _thank you_… you're very kind. I'm grateful."

Link beamed widely, "Thank you, and you're welcome."

They arrived at his dorm, both of them standing in front of his door. A dainty pink diffused across Pit's cheeks…

_Link walked with me to my dorm for the first time… _

…_somehow, this makes me happy._

"Uh… thanks again… for your help, Link. I really appreciate it."

"No problem."

"W-Well… I'll see you tomorrow."

"Goodnight; good luck with your wing!"

Pit nodded, stepped into his dorm room and gave his crush a shy, lovely smile before he closed his door. Afterwards, Link began his long trip back to his own dorm... all the way on the second floor. The significant smile on his pursed lips seemed to make his entire face shine.

_I would've never expected that I would be smiling considering what has happened…_

_Pit…_

…_H__e's truly changed everything._

xXx

'_Guess I'll talk to him… _

Ike strolled as quietly as he could through the second floor, his destination being Marth's dorm. Luckily, the hallway was empty. He didn't want anyone popping out of the shadows calling him a "manwhore" or names similar to that. Link saying it once was more than enough… He overheard one conversation between the two princesses, and he could've sworn that he heard the disgracing word "whore" along with his name being used in the same sentence… It didn't bother him as much as he thought it would, but still… having knowledge that such things were being said about him wasn't a very nice thing to know…

There was a creaking sound; a door was being opened. Ike noticed immediately that it was the prince's door.

_Oh… he's awake. _

Marth poked his head outside and into the halls, damp, cobalt eyes landing instantly on the approaching swordsman.

_He's awake! He's… He's… coming this way!_

Ike was getting closer and closer to his door… the prince through that if he didn't do something to refrain him from walking past him, he and the mercenary that he loved ever so dearly would never look him in the eyes again… and he loved him too much to let that happen.

He was only three feet away, now…

Two feet.

One foot.

Five inches.

_One inch…_

Marth—at lightning fast speed—pounced onto the tall man, his roaming hands grasping fistfuls of Ike's blue tee, and wailed in the comfort of his warm, built chest. Ike—taken by surprise—nearly tumbled over at the overwhelming force of the impact.

"_Ike! I'm sorry!! I'm so sorry!! Please, don't hate me!! Please don't! I didn't mean to! I'm sorry, Ike!_"

"_Whoa, whoa, whoa_… _What?_"

Marth sniffled, focusing his dribbling azures onto Ike's handsome face…

"You hate me… _don't you?_ Isn't that why you will not talk to me…? _Or look at me…?_"

Ike wrinkled his eyebrows, bewildered, "What? _No… No, no, no…_ I don't hate you, Marth…"

"You… _you don't?_"

"No… I don't," the mercenary stressed, bringing his hands up to the young prince's reddened face, smearing his tears away with his thumbs, "And what is with you with all this _crying?_ You shouldn't cry so much… and you shouldn't think such things. I don't hate you, _okay?_"

Marth beamed softly, embracing the man before him as he sighed with relief.

"…_Okay_."

Ike encircled the prince apologetically; Marth didn't want to let go. He basked in the mercenary's supreme masculinity, pressing his nose into his chest…

…_I feel so happy._

The prince heard a set of footsteps coming from the opposite end of the hall…

…_They can call me hurtful names… they can give me hate-filled glares… they can throw things at me… but nothing can nor will stop me from loving this man… _

The footsteps came to a silent halt; the prince peeked out from Ike's chest to see who dropped in on their lovely embrace.

…_Link?!_

The blonde—frozen stiff—stood a mere five feet away, expressionless. With bulging, blue eyes, Link gaped at the couple for a few minutes, neither one of them saying anything. In fact, they didn't need to say anything at all. Seeing who supposedly was his best friend a week ago all snuggled up in his former boyfriend's arms was like a punch in the face.

Then the stomach…

…and finally, the heart.

That embrace told him everything he needed to know: they didn't care at all for his feelings.

Not one-fucking-bit.

Marth leisurely pulled away from Ike, unable to lock eyes with the mute blonde.

"_Uh… Uhm… I…_"

Link finally blinked, looking to the mercenary with such emotion swirling in his tired orbs… And then he made that _face_… That "_Why…?_" face.

The one that Ike hated…

_I don't think I'll fully understand why such a thing has happened to me…_

Two, active, aqua irises met a stagnant pair… asking them, "_Why…? Why me? What did I do wrong?_" Ike didn't respond. As if anything he said or did would matter to the blonde at this point. Marth dared to step forth, reaching out for his shaken friend…

"Link—"

But before he could even get his name out, Link dismissed himself, brushing past the both of them and into his dorm…

_I meant nothing to those two… I meant nothing to him._

xXx

"He hates me, Marth—_ouch_."

Marth dabbed some alcohol on Ike's open scar.

"Did that sting?"

"Yeah… A little."

"_I'm sorry_… but you should have treated this sooner. You're lucky that it didn't get infected… It would have gotten worse."

The prince used another cotton swab to spread a creamy, antibiotic ointment across his sore… Ike relaxed as the paste cooled his nerve-ending wound.

"And no… Link doesn't hate you. He might dislike you, but he doesn't hate you."

Ike huffed in disagreement, "_Yes_. He does. '_I don't want you touching me ever again! I hate you!_' was what he said."

Marth blinked at him in denial. Link said the "H" word? He couldn't fathom how disheartening those three words must've been for the mercenary… Ike handed him a bandage from the small, first-aid kit. Marth received it… but he couldn't help but notice the well-hidden pain etched over the defamed man's face.

"Oh… Wow, Ike. _I'm… I'm sorry._"

"S'okay."

"_No_… it's_ not_ okay," corrected the prince, dressing the scar with the pink bandage, "I see now… This is the reason why you've been avoiding me."

"'Avoiding' you? No, no, I wasn't 'avoiding' you… I was… _keeping distance_. I just needed time to myself… time to think. You would've been a distraction for me…"

Ike stopped there, but quickly added on, "…_And I certainly don't mean that in a negative way!_"

"Oh no… _I understand_."

Marth stretched his perfect lips into a charming grin. The indigo-haired swordsman's lips twitched into a weak, semi-smile. The prince packed all the contents of his first-aid kit back into the white box, and placed it back into his small, bathroom cabinet. Ike looked to the gargantuan mirror beside him, noticing the stylish, rose-colored patch he sported. The monarch shortly reappeared, joining the mercenary on his bed.

"Pink's the only color you have?"

"Yeah… _Sorry_."

"It's alright."

"Do you mind if I ask who's done that to you?"

"...Zelda went all Sheik on me yesterday… _Those pin needles hurt like hell._ I could tell that she was really pissed; even when the match ended—and she was declared the winner—she kept charging at me, clawing at me… I had to run off the stage. Talk about humiliating…"

Marth faintly "Oh"ed.

Ike emitted a massive yawn, stretched out, and laid back on the prince's comfy bed. He folded his arms…

"_Yep_," he sighed, shutting his eyes, "_Everyone hates the ol' Ike-ster._"

"That's not true."

His eyes popped open, sticking on Marth.

"I don't hate you…" the prince gazed down at his friend, "I don't hate you, Ike."

A momentous pause…

"An'… an' so what if everyone doesn't like you, or agree with what you and I have done? _That does not mean you have to sit around and mope about it!_ _That does not mean you have to isolate yourself from everyone!_ Sure, everyone treats you coldly… Everyone treats me the same way, too. But once, they were all my friends… and I still try to communicate with them. _They don't have many nice things to say to me_… but they can't stay mad at me forever. I hope that they'll eventually forgive the both of us… _Especially Link_. But until that time comes, just know that you're not alone in this… You're not the only one who's been rejected…"

Marth's sweet, flawless lips created the loveliest smile, easing the relaxed, indigo-haired beau's restless nerves. He stroked a strand of his damp, violet hair…

"You can't shoulder this all by yourself, big guy_…_"

The young prince had this urge to run his hands through that great mass of violet hair… to kiss those sad-looking, deflated lips until they were as red as his mineral blush… to lie next to him… to hold him…

But that probably wouldn't be a wise thing to do, thoughtfully taking Ike's sudden break up into consideration. For now, he would have to be satisfied with just petting him affectionately.

"…Besides, we've created this mess together. I can't let you take all the blame. _I'm in this with you_, Ike. _Okay?_"

He tapped the point of the other swordsman's stout nose with his index finger, giggling, which only emphasized his cuteness. There was a small trace of pink on the tip of the resting swordsman's nose. Before the prince could discover it, Ike brewed a handsome grin.

_Ah… his eyes! They're glowing again!_

"I made you happy!" Marth bit his finger, "Or… I _think_ I did…"

The indigo-haired man languidly sat up; his smile did not cease.

"You always seem to know when to say the right things at the right time… _How do you do that?_"

"_I do?_ Well, I don't know… _I just speak my mind!_"

"Speak your mind, huh? Well, thanks anyway, Marth…"

The prince chortled, radiating the sheer happiness boiling inside of his tummy.

"You're welcome!"

Instinctively, Ike inclined forward to capture his soft lips, but caught himself, hoping that his mistaken endeavor went unnoticed.

"_Uh_…"

Instead, he patted the monarch's broad, elegant shoulders, smiled, and approached the door. He angled towards the other bluenette.

Marth waved, "_Goodnight_."

Ike—a bit flustered—nodded.

"G'night…"

He just about tripped as he walked out the door. When it shut, Prince Marth shared a smug smirk with himself…

_For once, I feel as though I've finally done something right. _

_And I'm actually looking forward to tomorrow._

xXx

_November 30th… 10:35 P.M._

_I've gotten a letter from Master Hand and a few front-row tickets to Karaoke Friday. He wishes for me to return to the manor… and I would love to. I miss everyone terribly, and I hear that the new arrivals have become real crowd pleasers. I've also heard that one of the new comers is seeing Link! And he's male! I knew it would happen sooner or later!_

_I would definitely love to meet him!_

_Hmm… Going back… to the Smash Mansion. I can't say that I've never thought about it. I've been thinking about it ever since I left, truthfully…_

_But… honestly… who needs me? Who wants me back?_

_It's been a little over a year… _

_Link has his boyfriend…_

_Marth's probably moved on and forgotten all about me…_

_The others probably don't even remember my name. _

_What good am I? My arrival wouldn't change a thing. _

…

_Tomorrow's Friday. Karaoke Friday. _

_Maybe I'll attend it. Just to escape these four walls. It gets pretty lonely in this one bedroom apartment. _

_Yours Truly, _

_Roy._

_P.S. Marth… I forgot what I was going to put here._

* * *

And done.

Hokage's (_meaningless_) Points:

(1): I'm pretty sure Falco is a _Falcon_. I mean… just going by his name, and all. You kind of add an "n" to it. "_Falco_(_n_)". Correct me if I'm wrong, though, I like to assume things like this.

_I have exciting news! _

**ROY MAKES HIS APPEARANCE IN THE NEXT CHAPTER!**

I felt like I needed to announce that… Maybe it wasn't clear enough in the journal entry. But yes… he's coming back. Finally.

Gahh, I should be studying for midterms/exams. But I wanted to get this chapter finished as soon as I could before they started. Plus I promised to update around my birthday (and I did! _Woo!_). Sorry if this chapter seems a little rushed; I wrote slowly and I carefully thought out each piece of it. Honest.

Ehem, anyway, onto the reviews…

**DarkItachi22:** Thank you! I am quite proud of myself :D But in some ways… disappointed. I imagined Pit to be the, "_Oh my Goddess, Link doesn't love me. What should I do? Zomg, I can't take this…_" But then, I was all like, "Nahhh…". I would be happy if someone I'd like for a very long time broke up with his girlfriend! But at the same time, a little sad, like Pit was. I guess it's just a normal reaction. Oh ho ho… These chapters are not easy to make… And it's the total opposite for me: I cannot write well at school. I have to listen to all my teachers nag on and on about stuff that's not going to help me become a pediatrician. Except for Geometry and Biology… I have been getting better with my tests. I could do better, but eh, I get easily distracted. SHAME ON YOUR ENGLISH TEACHER! YOU SHOULD NEVER TELL SOMEONE THAT THEY NEED TO TAKE WRITING CLASSES! Oh… Do you prefer me replying like this or replying instantly? I've been thinking about doing that (replying instantly), hmm… Well, Happy New Year to you!

**Lunar Guardian:** _Hmm… The LinkXPit/PitXLinkness shall officially staaaaaaart_… Maybe in the next chapter (You'll have to read the summary for the next chapter below). Yahoo is horrible at blocking spam… = 3= I had like, seven messages asking me if I wanted to meet "Gay Muscle Men"… with picture attachments. Yeah. Talk about being scarred for life.

**Flock o' Seagulls:** Oh yes, Link was going to slap Ike. He had it comin': It was only a matter of time. "GIVES YOU HELL"! YES! Totally love that song and the All American Rejects, by the way. When I first heard it (on Myspace… xD), I was like, "_Dude_… That's totally Link's theme song in my story." I'm glad someone noticed that besides meeee~ _HA!_ The Free-for-all imagination thing was hilarious! Link slaughtering Marth and Ike (although I wonder if Ganondorf did anything… Probably not. Bothering a pissed-off Link wouldn't be very smart). EEE~ Thank you for the birthday wish! Cx

**JtheChosen1:** I can tell you liked the cookie C: You wanted to see how Ike and Marth were dealing with their loss. I hope I did a good job on this chapter -bites nails- I shall keep doing better! _Thanks for the encouragement! _

**Invader Aqua:** _Uhhmm_… The Seme in a LinkXPit relationship. In most LinkXPit fics that I've read, Link is the overall seme. Not quite sure why. Pit can be seme, too! And yes, Link is VERY uke-ish in my story. I like to see the semes be ukes for once. Except for Ike, I CANNOT see him as an uke. -tries to imagine- Nope. _Nothing._ And you're right. Pit's nurturing side _does_ conflict with his "manliness". So when I finally get around to writing the bed scenes I'm going to have to include lots of switching up. But Link would make such a cute uke!! Link's whiny voice… his uke-ish squeals… _EEEE_. Can't wait to write it, ne?!?!!

**xXAngelic ScarsXx:** Getting cheated on and being dumped are both horrible. ESPECIALLY GETTING DUMPED FOR SOMETHING WHERE YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THE HELL YOU DID WRONG! = ~ = Ehem… Anywho. Yep, that's what "A Lover's Brawl" is based on… my past experience with evil boys/back-stabbing best friends. "_I slapped the hell outta my last ex... It was magical ^_^_" xDDDDDDDDDD There's no better feeling than releasing all of your anger out on your ex with a nice slap to the face C:

**Ernoma:** Gahh… I love Ike. I totally demonized him, though. Seme Piiiiit~ One day, I'm going to make a fic with Pit the seme and Link the whiny, fuckable uke… l3 Link is the _ultimate_ uke. _Period_. I can totally see Pit nipping at Link's ears…

Link: (using his whiny voice) _Pittoooooo~_ _Stoppiiiit~~!_

Pit: lD _Whyyyy~_ -nibbles- _Link is so cute…_

lDDD I'm getting out of hand. OH YES! THE CO-CO-CO WRITE THING! Yes! We must! But first, let me get these exams out of the way. Then I'll be able to write anything! _Could it be an uke Link storrryyy?_ o 3 o Uke Link can get fucked by Light/Dark Pit! :DDD Ho ho, I shall have fun with this… I hope it's not already done! Ooh~! A drawing for ALB? How nice! Eeee~!

**Rasengan Kagebunshin:** Oh? Your sister is not a yaoi fan girl? I feel sorry for her if she's not… She's missing out on lots of stuff = w = Lots of stuff, indeed. Ike is a slut, ain't he? D: But sluts need love, too xDDD Hee hee, I shall continue doing my best!

**Midnight Crystal Sage:** Pit loves the picture that you've given him, by the way. He sleeps with it every night. I tried taking it from him, just to get a little peek. He nearly bit my hand off. I ENJOYED THE LINKXPIT PICCIE!! Link and Pit switching clothes… So cute. I love writing the PitXLink bits~ I didn't want Zelda to be the love-sick princess whining over Link being gay and all. So instead, she's sorta like his big sister C:

**Kurai:** Yep, my birthday is in January C: "…_by people turning their backs on Ike, does that mean that they all act like jerks? You know, like Wario would walk up to Ike and dump water on his cape xD_" Correct! Except I can see the kids doing that sort of thing xDDD _Cute…_

**Kufuffelupagus:** I figured that most of you would like the break up extension bit of the last chapter~ So glad that I wrote it! :3 I like writing an emotional Ike, anyway. Seems like he's the emotional type in my eyes. I hope this chapter did not disappoint you! And thank you for the happy birthday wish! X3 I feel special.

**ShaSha3498:** I want Pit and Link to hook up as soon as possible… but I gots to write some more filler chapters. But they'll be exciting, filler chapters (and not like the fillers from Naruto)!! I hope you enjoy BWQ, too! I work equally as hard on both stories C:

**NyoChan:** If you like Pit's adventures with the younger Smashers, you'll love what they do in the next chapter! Out of all the kids, Toon Link is my favorite. I have like… five hundred pictures on my SD card of him. I LOVE the facial expressions he makes when he fights! He's more expressive than Link, plus he's mini-sized! Such a cutie! Ness has the best moves, though, although Lucas is more powerful (in my opinion). Eh, I hope you liked this chapter!

**The Mad Joker:** Ha Haa! That happens to me a lot (I often press the "Submit" button accidentally. Very frustrating. And the double review is completely fine). Pit and Link getting married… I'd have to write that sometime! When I'm not so busy. The school likes to bombard us with loads of crap that's not even relevant to our future!! D: Oh well~ I feel sad for all of them, except Pit, who's gonna score Link sooner or later. And I cannot wait to write all the PitXLink fluff~

**Sachiko V:** Yeeesss… Ike and Link being my favorite couple, it's hurts that I can't write anymore Ike/Linkness for a good while (that is, if they ever get back together. Will they? I cannot tell~). But writing PitXLink/LinkXPitness will help me through it all! The next chapter is going to be so much fun to wriiiiiiite~ Link finally cries!! O.o Not that that's a good thing, but Pit comforts him~!! I'm glad that you like the "older sister" Zelda! Not sure how that was going to turn out. And thanks for the birthday wish!! Cx Specialness!

**iWaffle:** I hope you "LOVE LOVE LOVE" this chapter, too! It's my least favorite so far… = - = I feel as though I could've done better with this one. Happy LATE Holidays/New Years to you, too!

**Gathouria:** IDENTICAL TWINS?! WOW~~ O w O Yes. I can definitely tell that you two are sisters, now. Hee hee, I think it's funny how you to "fight" each other. Me and my little sister have the same arguments. But she's like… Three years younger than me. I guess that's normal. But with you two being twins and all, you must really know how to push all the right buttons to make the other one tick xDDD Am I right?!!?!?!? And I also hate it when people tell me things about something that I haven't gotten the chance to read!!

**A is for Angst:** AHH! I knew your name looked familiar! _I missed yooooooou~_ -huggles- :DDD Glad you reviewed! Yes, Pit is there to comfort Link, and Marth is there to comfort Ike! So it all adds up well! But… who will be there to comfort Roy? O.o Confusing! Glad to see you again!!

**J.S.N:** I'm happy that you've reviewed, too! And it's great to know that someone thinks like me, too! Because I am the weirdest of the weird. Totally. That's supposed to be a complement, too~ Café scene: One of my favorites. I know Ike must've felt like a real asshole when he talked about breaking up with Link, then Link comes along and kisses him. And when Ike straddled Link I wanted Pit to clonk him right on the head!! EEEE! THE SUMO WRESTLING FIGHT WITH BO~!! I failed it like… eleven times just to see ickle Linky with his shirt off. It took me a whole day to take down that Gordon king dude. My slow ass finally figured out that I needed to wear the Iron Boots when I went against him. Weee! Ecstatic that you like my story! Oh!! PLEASE TO WRITE MORE IKEXLINK! WE MUST KEEP IT ALIVE!! ALIVE, I TELL YOU, _ALLLIIIIVVVVEEEE-AAAHHH! _-huff huff huff_-_

O - o

That's how serious I am about those two. Thanks for your review by the way~! –hands over hot, M&M cookie- C: A custom of mine.

And I am officially done with reviews…

Here's what's in the next chapter…

_**Next Chapter…**_ Link finally breaks down, Pit's efforts trying to prevent tear-shed wasted. But he is soon comforted by the angel… and five other, little Smashers. During Karaoke Friday, Marth gets "Boo"ed off the stage as he prepares to sing his song, but Ike bravely stands up for them both. Roy—incognito—finally decides to attend the weekly event. He's more than happy to see his former lover, but not so happy to see him dangling off this other man's (Ike's) arm. Maybe returning wasn't such a good idea after all.

Well, I guess the next chapter is sort of self-explanatory~ I can't wait to start writing it! But those damned tests are a few hours away… _I should get to studyin'… _

…Your thoughts?

83

Much Love,

HokageAkamaru


	16. You Will Be Loved

Title: A Lover's Brawl

Pairing(s): **IkeXLink**,** IkeXMarth**, Eventual** MarthXRoy**, Eventual** PitXLink**

Rating: M

**Full Story:** _Link has always been the quiet, shy type. That is… until Ike came into his life. Since then, Ike and Link have been an inseparable item ever since they've laid eyes on each other. Marth, coping with his broken heart after the disappearance of his very own lover—Roy—had secretly loved Ike from the beginning. But it was too late, Link was the only one on Ike's mind._

_With his seductive powers and body, he lures Ike to him, the both of them sharing many nights together. And ever since, Ike has not been able to let him—nor his delicious shape—go. Link is totally unaware of this, Ike constantly lying to him about his whereabouts to protect he and his prince's relationship. With whole-hearted trust, Link believes every single word._

_Marth wants a fully committed relationship with Ike—tired of hiding it—and he will do anything to get it, even if that means hurting one of the people that he loves the most._

_But there is one more person that complicates this plot._

_Someone who watches his crush from afar._

_(This story takes place after Super Smash Brother's Melee, the reason why Roy is "missing")_

**A/N: **Hello~ I planned to post this thing sooner, but my brain was crowded with school work and it wouldn't give way for_ any_ ideas for this story…

As I was writing my story in class (specifically Geometry), I would jot little things down, for example:

"Marth looked deeply into Ike's soulful eyes, and then (the math would interfere somewhere, like here) _divided the simplified radical of the hypotenuse by the shorter leg of the right triangle using the Pythagorean Theorem method, thus finding the measurement of the longer leg of the right triangle_."

Heh…

_Weird._

I was sort of slacking off a bit on this story (plus I got in trouble, heh) so I'd spend more time focusing on my grades… But I'm happy to say that I did fairly well on my midterms/exams as a result!!

C:

_Thank you for cheering for me to those who did! _

_Now_, onto the chapter…

Lots of fluffy **PitXLink**ness, more **IkeXMarth**ness, and **Roy**ness.

Um—Gomen for all mistakes and what not. I'm only human… and I** fail** at English grammar, even if it is my first language.

_So enjoy!_

:D

* * *

"Marth, _stop this_…"

Prince Marth had the grip of a blood-thirsty tick on a hound, "_No!_"

Ike groaned as he tried to peel him off; his nails were sharp and his strong legs just as unbearable. The prince then slammed Ike into a wall with the tremendous, frightening strength of _love_. He plastered his entire, supple body onto the mercenary's along with his rough, vigorous lips. The both of them stood there kissing, Ike not having much of a choice but to.

_This_ had been going on for two weeks so far, Marth inviting Ike every other night to get… "_better acquainted_". The indigo-haired swordsman had just declared his love for Link exactly three weeks ago, the two becoming a "sickeningly happy" couple if you'd ask the prince. He'd secretly lusted for Ike from Day One, but no matter what he did or said, Ike was more interested in the timid, withdrawn blonde than the twice as attractive prince. Which totally fucked with his mind.

What did Link have him beat in?

"_Stay with me for a bit..._" the poor monarch desperately pleaded, gently—unlike his lips—grabbing the mercenary's arms and tying them around his waist.

"Marth—_mmn_—_this is not right,_" moaned a reddening Ike, freeing his limbs from the prince's overwhelming grasp.

"_You weren't saying that last night..._" the prince retorted.

"_But you have to—to understand. I—I can't_ _do this anymore!_"

Prince Marth's soft lips stopped their ruthless kisses.

"_What…?_"

"I'm sorry, Marth. But this… this isn't… _right_."

"_But… But_…"

_I hate you, Link… I hate you._

He peered up into the swordsman beautiful eyes of crystal which mirrored the undeniable, unconditional love he had for his blonde friend so agonizingly clear. They had a love that he—and not only himself, but _no one_—could not _possibly_ interfere with, meaning he had to face the harsh reality of it all: Ike would _never_ become his.

The mercenary saw the sorrow spoiling the beautiful face before him, and he couldn't help but feel somewhat convicted.

Marth pushed off his body, marching over to his bed. He was frustrated, _humiliated_… and horribly flustered. He turned his back on the man he loved, squeezing back the salty droplets looming in his eyes...

"_I'm… I'm sorry if I gave you the wrong impression_, Marth. Um… You're a very beautiful, amazing, _charming_ person, but… _I can't_… I just can't _lie_ to him anymore. Link is my _lover_. He deserves—"

"—WHAT ABOUT WHAT_ I _FUCKING DESERVE, _HUH?!_ _I'M_ THE ONE THAT'S BEEN PUT THROUGH HELL! _I LOVE YOU_, IKE, AND THE ONLY THING I WANT IS FOR YOU TO _LOVE_ _ME!_" he sobbingly confessed, "_That's… That's all I w-want… all I want…_"

Ike bowed his head, rubbing the nape of his neck—which bore swelling scratches created by Marth's nails.

…_I can't leave him like this… and it's partially my fault._

"_Hey_," he took the sniffling monarch into his strong arms, "Look. _I apologize_. But, I'm afraid that I can't be anything more than your _friend_."

"…What do you not like about me? Is it my face? _My body?_ My—"

"—_No!_ No, no, it's none of that."

"Then what is it that I lack?!"

"You don't lack _anything_, Marth! _You're perfect!_"

Marth stuck out his lips, "_No I'm not_. Obviously there's something in Link that irks you that _I_ necessarily don't have."

Ike laughed at the adorable action, but shut his yap when the furious set of leaking eyes glared holes into his.

"Umm—well—_yeah, _I guess. But that doesn't mean that there's anything _wrong_ with you. It… It just means that… that I'm in love with _Link_. Now, you're a very, very lovely individual and I'm _positive_ that you can find someone else—"

"—_But I want you_…" the prince whined, tugging on the mercenary's pajama shirt childishly.

"Marth… _look_ at me. _It can't happen_."

The prince lowered his head, the heavy, relentless tears resurfacing…

"…_I… I know_."

Both men were silent as Ike held the sweet, little body in his arms…

"Can… Can I have one more kiss?"

Ike blinked.

"_One_. Just one. That's all I ask…"

The mercenary grinned, gripping his chin.

"_Ah_, alright… it's the least I could do. Only _one_, though."

Prince Marth smiled into the spawned, gentle kiss produced by the pair of thin lips.

And that simple kiss turned into two simple kisses.

Then three… four… five… _six…_

Ike—his vision quite hazy—stared deeply into the monarch's glazed, hypnotizing orbs before swooping in for another. He knew this wasn't right… but why did it feel like it was?

Marth's lips _were_ soft… Marth's body _was_ perfect…

Ike felt _incredible_.

Tricked… and addicted.

What followed the sixth, simple kiss was a rather passionate one, involving a little tongue, but that soon would change.

…_I've got you now, Ike…_

…_and I'm not letting you escape._

Passionate kisses led to passionate touches… Passionate touches led to passionate caressing…

Ike never did get a chance to return to Link's dorm that night, but thankfully the blonde fell asleep… He was approximately five dorms away, unable to hear the prince's powerful, strident squeals of sheer ecstasy.

And on that night, the mercenary became fully enslaved by the prince.

xXx

Pit passed all of his wing examinations with flying colors! And so—like the doctor promised the day before—he was able to participate in the competitions with his fellow Smashers once again!

But most importantly, though, his wings were no longer for show. He was able to fly like a true angel. The kids tackled him—_and Doctor Mario_—when the angel announced this wonderful news. That meant Pit could spend more time playing and having fun with them like they used to before he was injured. Pit promised that he'd carry all of them up into the sky and fly around for a little while, but he had to see if this was alright with the doctor. He suggested that it would be very healthy for his wing exercise-wise. He needed to stretch the unused muscle, and what better way was there than to lift five, energetic children into the atmosphere? They were sort of like his little dumbbells…

Their "air ride" was promised first thing in the morning, and neither one could contain the explosive happiness swimming in their bellies.

xXx

"_My turn next!!_" reminded Toon Link as the angel glided safely onto the ground, a very dizzy Nana wobbling out of his arms.

"_Yes… Yes_… I remember," said Pit, a bit breathless. The female Ice Climber was the fourth child that he launched into the air, giving her and each and every child the chance to touch the low-lying, stratus clouds. Their ecstatic chortles of glee as the brunet twisted and twirled the morning air with his white, striking wings pumped pure adrenaline through their young veins, and that gave the angel enough energy to keep pressing on…

There were only two who needed their "ride": Lucas and an anxious Toon Link. He also promised another round; his wing muscle would be nice and stretched by the time the matches started.

"_Alrighty_…" Pit strained, lifting the blonde swordsman off the ground. Toon Link took off his hat and handed it to Popo—he, too, was still a little woozy—for safe-keeping.

"_You ready?_"

"I'm ready, Pit!"

"_Okay!_ Here we go!"

His luminous, sparkling white wings fanned beautifully at an inhumane length; in a split second, Pit took off into the heavens with the young boy strapped tightly to his torso by his arms. Toon Link hollered with joy as the cool wind gently slapped his cheeks. Pit gained altitude, trying not to go far up into the dangerous layers of the atmosphere. So he made sure that he maintained a safe height. They were fortunate that the clouds were very close to the ground, giving the children a once-in-a-lifetime chance to touch them.

"_Woooooow!!_ The mansion is so tiny, Pit!! _Hey!_ I can see Lucas!! And Nana!! _I can see all of them!!_ _Heeeeeeyyyy!! Guys!! I can see yooooou!!_"

Pit giggled, "They can't hear you, silly. _You're too high up!_"

"Aww…"

"Ready to start the cloud challenge?!"

"Am I?!"

Pit put the small boy onto his shoulders and raised him a tad bit higher. Toon Link's small finger tips touched the bottom of an icy, stratus cloud hovering just above his head.

"Ah!! _It's so cold!!_"

Pit made up a little game: whoever could tear off a piece of a cloud and bring it back to him, he would bake some of his special peanut butter cookies and give them to the victor. Toon Link _adored_ the snack. For some reason, each child waited until they were back on solid ground to reveal their cloud to their friends… Pit asked them if they wanted to see if they caught it while they were still high in the sky, but all responded with something similar to, "_Nope! I wanna wait so I can rub in so-and-so's face!_" Maybe if they successfully got a piece, they could shove it into their peers' faces and boast about it for the remainder of the week.

And Toon Link would get a kick out of that.

The blonde cupped his hands together, attempting to capture a little bit of the cloud… The rest of his friends had failed to bring any remnants back, and he later discovered why.

Pit and the child descended back to Earth, the blonde's hands enclosed around his "piece of cloud", anxious to show his friends.

"_Guys!! Guys, look!! I got it!!_"

"_No way!_" Ness opposed, "How did _you_ get a piece when _I_ couldn't?!"

Toon Link smirked, "I'm just _lucky_."

"_Oh yeah?!_ _Then lemme see it!_"

The children gathered around the swordsman, watching intensely as he unfolded his hands to reveal his ticket to those scrumptious, peanut butter cookies…

…Only to find nothing. Instead of the treasured nimbus, beads of moisture trickled down his small hands, disappointment, devastation, and confusion visible in Toon Link's round face.

"_HA!_ See?! You're not _lucky!_"

"Ah?! _What_… _What happened?!_ I thought I had it! _Piiiiiiiiiit!_"

The angel—slightly out of breath—leisurely made his way over to the small circle.

"…_Yes?_"

Toon Link thrust his hands into Pit's face, frowning, "_What happened to my cloud?! I had it!_"

"Are you sure about that?"

"_Uhm_… _Yeah?_" he muttered, partially doubtful.

Pit chuckled, "The same thing happened to the others… You see, young one, a cloud is nothing but small particles of ice and water fused together, to put it simply."

Toon Link furiously poked his little lips, "So it's _not _like _cotton?_"

"Not at all. Just regular ice and water, and that would explain why your hands are all wet."

"_Ha Ha!_"

"_Shuddup_, Ness!"

Nana, Pop, Lucas and even Pit, who normally didn't like it when the boys fought, had a hearty laugh watching the two Smashers bicker over their own personal dispute.

"Lucas?"

The psychic blonde acknowledged the angel, "Yes?"

"Please make sure Toon Link and Ness don't start a big fight for me."

"Oh… _okay_."

"I'm going to get a glass of water really quick… I'll be right back; _I promise you'll have your turn!_"

Pit then headed towards the entrance doors of the mansion to retrieve his refreshment, the little blonde keeping the promise made between him and the brunet. He did as he was told, watching his two friends flick their tongues like lizards and lower their eyelids at each other. Lucas didn't see any harm in this, and he actually found it hilarious and entertaining.

A door slammed open, startling the young one.

"Link! Do not listen to Ganon! _Link!!_" shrieked Princess Zelda to her friend. Peach held her back, muttering something into her Hylian ears; because of the distance, Lucas could not hear what was being said. Link took off—faster than anything he had ever seen. _Where_ he was going left the small boy bewildered. The two princesses sank back into the manor, Zelda making one, final glimpse at her "brother".

Naturally, as any child or even an adult in this case, Lucas wondered what was going on between the three. Why did Link run away from Zelda? Why was he running in the first place? _Who was he running from?_ And _why_ was he the only one interested out of all five of his friends? Nana and the others were preoccupied with the ongoing argument between the two boys to notice anything. Maybe Lucas was just being his observant self…

…_Link did not look very happy._

"Um… _Guys?_ I'm going to check on Link…" he informed to his friends, but they could not hear him over Toon Link's and Ness's childish name-calling. He would only be a second; he wanted to fully clarify that his older, blonde friend was feeling alright… that's what Pit would have done if he were in his situation. Lucas broke away from the group, starting his hunt for Link, and it did not take him long to find him. After only a minute of tracing over his friend's quick-paced steps, he immediately discovered the hidden bench concealed behind overgrown shrubs. If he hadn't heard that sharp, sudden sob from behind the plants he would have never found Link.

_Huh?_

The young blonde peered through the leaves.

"…Link?"

And there he was…

…slumped over…

…his hands nearly suffocating his face…

…trembling…

…mumbling…

…_crying._

He remembered the night before… that tight embrace that he found those two in. And to think that he was going to _apologize_ to _him_ for what he said…?

"_Stupid… M'zo st-stupid…_"

Link was_ not_ notorious for shedding tears.

Lucas immediately reported back to his friends with his new, shocking information. As foreseen, Toon Link and Ness's bantering was far from being settled. Regardless, he tried his best to get their undivided attention.

"Hey, Ness? Do you know what's wrong with—"

"—You're just_ jealous_ 'cause I'm _stronger!_" Toon Link interrupted.

"_Jealous?!_"

Lucas softly tapped his shoulder, "_Um… Ness?_"

"Yeah, _jealous!_"

"What does 'jealous' have to do with a _cloud_ you _dummy?!_"

It was no use… they wouldn't listen.

_Maybe Popo would…_

He scurried over to his mountain-climbing friend, "Popo? Do you know what's wrong with Link?"

It had been a few moments before the boy responded, caught up in the amusing quarrel.

"_Nope!_" he replied without meeting Lucas's troubled eyes. He didn't seem the least bit concerned about him, either. Was Lucas the only one who cared?

"Nana?"

"Yes, Lucas?"

"Do you know why Link's crying—"

"—_LINK IS CRYING?!_"

Nana—who _loved_ having Link around, especially for the past few days—tightly grasped her blonde friend's hand.

"_SHOW ME WHERE!_" she ordered fiercely.

And that he did.

"_Hey!_ Where are_ they_ going?!" Popo questioned, wondering where his partner and the blonde were heading off to in such a hurry.

He began his own personal quest, secretly spying on the two, not so interested in Toon Link and Ness's squabble. And they, too, soon realized that their buddies had run off without a word—or so it seemed, their bickering shutting out everything around them. Popo, Ness and Toon Link met up with their friends… and a wailing Link. Nana joined the blonde on the bench, consolingly rubbing his hunched back while muttering gently, "_Don't cry, _Link… Don't cry…"

Toon Link quietly took a couple steps forth, Ness and Popo following, unsure of what was occurring before them…

Why was this grown man… _crying?_

Such a strong person… A strong person who so many look up to…

…Strong people don't cry, right?

But yet… he's crying. The strong Link is crying, salty water oozing out of his tear ducts like molten-hot drops of wax from a candle…

_Why?_

Lucas fled to find some tissues and to inform Pit on their whereabouts, because Pit would _freak_ if he discovered that they weren't where they were supposed to be. He wasn't even three feet away from the weeping swordsman, and there stood the angel in front of him, anxiety and panic clear in his tired, young face.

"_Lucas!! Thank goodness!! Where are the others?!_"

The boy quickly pointed to the tall hedges, stating, "_There_, behind the bushes… _Um…_ Link is there, also. He's… _crying_. But we don't know _why_… He won't talk to us—"

In the blink of an eye, Pit ran straight for the lush plants to see if the psychic boy's claim had been true.

Link was… _crying?_

Lucas was telling the truth; there _indeed_ was his beloved, blubbering into his tear-tainted, wet hands, accompanied by the smaller Smashers.

"_Pit…!"_ said Nana, acknowledging the angel's presence and was extremely hopeful that he could figure out what was up with her favorite blonde.

…_Pit?_

Link's blonde head snapped out of his hands, azure orbs landing right onto the mentioned angel who looked like he was about to break down into tears himself. But one of them had to be the strong one, here… A broken person cannot comfort another broken person… it just didn't work. The two gazed upon the other for a few minutes, Link at long last uttering with pathetic-ness, "…_I-It hu-urts so bad, Pit. It hurts… s-so baaa-d…_"

…_I know, sweetheart._

With that heart-squeezing statement, the Hyrulean then fell once again back into his hands, now trying to stifle his bawling—_to toughen up_—but he couldn't simply pretend that the pain building within his heart was not there. Pit could see the unmistakable heartache in that beautiful, sorrowful face of his… but overall, he could hear Link's own bleeding, heavy heart calling out for him as clear as day…

…and he had no choice other than to answer it.

"Thank you, Nana… I'll take it from here."

She hopped down from the bench, the angel taking her spot as he smiled brightly at her and the children.

They stood still, watching him and Link carefully…

"_You all go ahead and play!_" said Pit, waving a dismissive hand.

"Will… Will Link be _alright?_" asked Toon Link who stroked his look-alike's shin in a comforting manner. Pit beamed at the boy's sweet concern for his crush…

"Don't worry… He'll be fine."

All five children bore happy grins, murmured their personal goodbye's to Link with a hug and a few words of encouragement, and left the angel to his cherished. The very first thing he did was utter his name, hoping to hear a logical reason for the droplets cascading down his glowing cheeks…

"_Link_."

But the blonde man could not answer… or maybe he did; he wasn't entirely sure… the muffled cries spilling from the candid heart of the blonde weren't comprehendible. Pit wasn't going to get much out of him at this point, but the releasing of all of his pent-up emotion, pain and anguish through the act of crying was very healthy for the archer at that moment. He had to get rid of the negative entities bottled inside his body somehow… although it was a very, piteous, painful thing to partake for the angel, and just about everybody else if they were present.

Pit's compassion for his precious was at its peak. He was going to see to it that this would be the first _and_ last time he was to shed tears over a broken heart. Because Ike was definitely _not _worth as much as a tear droplet according to his strong beliefs about the mercenary. For the second time, Pit's gentle arms wove themselves around Link's waist as he pulled him closer to his body for comfort and warmth… Winter was just around the corner, and the last thing he wanted for the blonde was the flu, but he was sure he'd find it enjoyable to feed him soup in his bed and prepare breakfast for him each and every morning.

Humbly, Link dug his nose into his friend's shoulder blade, his own needy arms lassoing about the angel's midsection.

He grasp was one of amazing strength…

"_I l-loved him_," Link sputtered in-between unpredictable sobs, "_I loved h-him with al-ll my heart-t_."

"I know… I know…"

"_I-I did ev'ryth-thin' for hi-im_…"

"Yes you did… _everything_…"

Pit began to lightly sway the little lamb left and right while sneaking sweet, softhearted kisses into his golden hair.

"_I loved him, I loved him_…" he blubbered repetitively as if that were the only thing he knew how to say… and for the next ten minutes, the angel allowed his friend to emit his last bits of agony and on the comfort of his shoulder, all-the-while listening to the quaky sniveling of the one he held so dear… Link had quieted down in the last two minutes and there was a reason for that. Pit heard the all too familiar sound of the cute, little snores passing through the blonde's lips. Perhaps he had cried so much he'd physically worn himself out…

Lucas stopped by with his promised Kleenex, and Pit received them, delicately wiping away all the lingering tears clinging to his eyelashes and cheeks with love and care, heedful of his dormant state.

Hopefully, this would be the _last_ time he'd have to do such a thing.

The angel dabbed the area just above Link's upper lip, slowly realizing the spectacular beauty of the lovely blonde for the millionth time… Now who on Earth, heaven, or any other realm in the universe would even _attempt_ to break such a precious heart? What _sadist_ would want to see tears trickle down such a beautiful face?

Pit weaved through his beloved's bags to reveal his brow, the area where his bold, warm lips planted a tender kiss… He stroked the buttery skin of his left cheek with his thumb in doing so, mumbling faintly…

"_I don't ever want to see you cry again, Link. Do you hear me? Do not dare let me catch you with those hideous tears disgracing your beautiful face ever again_…"

Link stirred at the kiss, but he did not awaken as the brunet dreadfully expected. Instead, the snoozing man tightened the hold he had on Pit's waist and continued what would be a very brief respite. A satisfying grin appeared slowly on the angel's happy lips.

_There is no need to squeeze me so hard, beloved… _

_Don't worry… _

…_I'm right here._

_I'm not going anywhere. _

_I'm always going to be there for you… _

…_Always. _

_Every step of the way._

_I promise, Link, I promise…_

…_I love you._

xXx

"_Ike! C'mon!_ It's not that hard! At least say, 'Hi'!"

Ike put down his newspaper onto the small, glass table. He was having a hard time reading with Prince Marth's consistent begging for him to speak to the others.

"Marth_. No_. They all _hate_ me."

"_No they don't!_"

"_Really_, now? Name _one_ person in this café who _does not _hate me."

Marth thoroughly scanned the entire emptying, grand room. Princess Peach and Zelda conversed over by the double doors… their topic probably involving the prince himself.

"Peach! She's too sweet to hate anybody! Even you! Why, she even called me someone named 'Don Juan'! Although I'm not quite sure who that is, but... he sounds like a good guy."

Ike sighed, "Marth… _One_, Don Juan seduced women, so basically she called you a philanderer. You can take that as a complement or an insult."

"_Oh_…"

"And _two_, Peach is close friends with Zelda. Zelda hates me and therefore Peach hates me, too. Along with the rest of 'em."

"So… you're saying that _everyone_ is going to hate us… _forever?_"

Ike returned to his paper, humming, "_Possibly_."

There was a moment of silence, where the indigo-haired man peacefully read the articles littered across the pages, and the other bluenette who was baffled at his friend's reply.

"_Possibly"…?_

"…If that's the case, then… I wouldn't care if everyone hated me forever—except for Link, of course. As long as I know that _Ike's_ happy with me, then that is all that matters."

Ike lowered his newspaper once more, gawking at the positively-charged individual in wordlessness. He decided to change the subject…

"You singin' tonight?"

"_Yep!_ I'm the opening act! '_Sakuranbo_'_!_"

(Cherries)

"…That's nice."

"Are _you _going to sing?"

"You know I don't_ sing_."

Marth pouted, "_Why not?_"

"You heard me singing once, right? I sound like a hyena—_no_—a _dying_ hyena. Yeah_… that's more like it._"

Marth cackled, "_Nah_… You're just _shy. _I mean, even _Link_ sang a few times! _He used to sing all the time_, actually."

Ike sat up a little straighter, suddenly interested, "Link… _sang all the time?_"

"Yeah, _way back when_. He has such a pretty voice… But when _you_ showed up, he stopped_ completely_. Probably because he was all shy around you," the monarch rambled, observing his nails with his thumb, "WAH?! A_ HANG _NAIL?! How could I not have noticed?!"

Ike sat there for a bit, cutting out the prince's wails, smiling to himself as he imagined how hilariously _cute_ a singing Link must have been…

…and how he might _never_ have an opportunity to hear that voice.

The smile vanished, replaced with sad, thin lips. Marth stopped his ranting, noticing the mercenary's abrupt silence first, and then the depressing expression that ruined the handsome face he loved so much…

_Oh no... Maybe I shouldn't have mentioned Link. He's been doing good for the most part. I just ruined that streak, I believe._

"_... I'm sorry, Ike! I—I did not—_"

"No… _S'alright_."

Ike put down the rolled newspaper, stood up, and pushed in his chair.

"C'mon. The battles are about to start."

Marth blinked as the man walked away without another word between them…

"…Okay."

_I am so sorry, Ike._

xXx

Warm attire was needed around the time the matches began. Everyone bundled themselves in thicker clothing, warm boots and scarves… Fall was a very short season. _The hard part?_ Dressing in something you could actually fight in. Pit told the children there was a high chance for snow that day; he could tell just by glancing at the clouds above. He wasn't so sure when, though, but he saw to it that the tykes were properly dressed for the unforgiving weather.

The Ice Climbers loved the cold along with the angel, but he'd just discovered that love.

Link's pointed ears and nose were as red as cherries, and they stuck out like really, really, _really_ sore thumbs. According to the angel, who was stupefied by this, it was irresistibly _adorable_. Maybe this was why Ike accused him of being an elf… he sure did look a lot like one during this time of year.

_But he'd better not tell him that._

Prince Marth—snuggly-warm in a snowy-white, authentic, mink jacket—cheered on the mercenary dueling against the burly Bowser in a rare, two-on-two match. Somehow, Ike could hear the prince's shrills of encouragement in the sea of pepped-up spectators.

When the clock ran down to "zero", Ike was declared the winner only seconds after. That was the first match he had won in days, which was very unusual for a person with such enormous strength.

Was it Marth's rooting that did the job...?

Pit had his share of battles, too, having five, little cheerleaders on his side. Link was in his own world… In sort of a post-traumatic state by those words said by his enemy that morning…

_Flashback…_

"Well, look what the cat dragged in… _Link._ How're ya this fine morning?"

Link grabbed his tray and headed to the bakery, "What do you want _Ganondorf?_"

"_Nothing, nothing_… Just wondering if, _you know_… if it's true that you and that pathetic boyfriend of yours have _finally_ called it quits?"

Link shivered at the phony concern in Ganondorf's voice. He helped himself to a slice of toast, sliding his tray farther away from the man. He was always trying and finding various ways to get him riled up and today, and Link wasn't feeling like himself… He needed to talk to Pit, but the angel left him a note stating that he'd be outside with the kids and that he wanted him to go on ahead to breakfast. Link didn't feel hungry—if it wasn't Pit's food he was eating, everything was… _tasteless_. But he needed some type of sustenance in his stomach… keeping up his energy was vital.

"Sorry to disappoint you_, _but you're not really my type, Ganon," Link joked harshly with a wicked smile.

"So it _is_ true…" assumed the king, chuckling darkly.

"_No shit__._"

"_Ah_… I see why Ike did what he did… Above all of your other flaws, your _attitude_ is the most intolerable. _He probably got sick of putting up with it… _I would be, too_._"

Link blinked, nearly bending his silverware that he strangled in his hot fist.

"And you're not really all that_ cute_ compared to that prince, either. I mean, what do you have on him? He's definitely better at controlling his emotions… _Ah_… It _all_ makes sense when ya piece it together, doesn't it…?"

Princess Zelda and Peach gracefully entered the café when the blonde ejaculated, "_UP YOURS, GANONDORF!_"

Link fled the café through a back door, startling the princesses and the few early birds enjoying the morning entertainment.

"What did you say to him, Ganon?!" shrieked Peach across the four walls.

He crossed his arms, smiling quite proudly, "_Why_, I was just giving him a little taste of the truth—"

Zelda dug her nails into his dark skin, growling through grinding teeth, "If I see so much of a _tear_ falling down his face, _I am going to shove both my boots so far up your narrow ass, you will be vomiting pure leather for the next five years._"

Zelda suppressed the urge to strangle her enemy, but she was troubled more about the blonde man who darted out the door. Whatever Ganondorf said, it had a great effect on him. Link typically wouldn't give the evil king the time of day and shrug off everything he had to say, but what right words did Ganon utter that made him react so strangely? What right buttons did he push?

She jogged to the very same door, hollering to her friend in the early-morning air, "Link! Do not listen to Ganon! _Link!!_"

_End Flashback…_

_I… I can be sort of… emotional. _

_Was my attitude really bugging him?_

_And if so, why didn't he say anything?_

"_5… 4… 3… 2… 1_… Time!"

Pit, Lucario, Luigi and R.O.B. froze, heaving heavily as the fighting ceased. A minute of silence fell over the majority coliseum as all awaited the name of the champion.

"_Sudden Death: Lucario versus Luigi! Pit and R.O.B., please exit!_"

_Darn it…_

The angel examined the scoreboard, noting that he'd come in third place for the fifth time that day. He shook hands with all three of his comrades, wishing the special, chosen two good luck. The massive crowd of supporters rooted for their favorite fighters as they left the arena, Pit returning to the area where the children and Link resided.

He was tackled him with praises from their frozen, pink lips.

"You did so good Pit!!" said Nana, latching onto his leg. Ness, Popo and Lucas favored Nana's opinion.

"But… I didn't _win_."

"_Hey!!_ You told me you can't win every single match! Maybe you'll win the next one!" added Toon Link. Pit looked down to all five faces that formed a pentagon around him…

"We'll cheer harder, so next time you'll win, okay?!" pledged Popo, receiving nods from the others. The winged being chuckled at the innocent comment, patting all five of them on their capped heads.

"_Thank you all…!_ I'm really going to need those cheers!"

They dispatched into their small group, the angel sitting adjacent to his mute crush.

_He's been quiet like this all day… I wonder what he's been thinking about for the past hour… AH! I HOPE HE DIDN'T FEEL THE KISS—_

"—Pit?"

He flinched, "GAH!! _Y-Yes_, _Link?!_"

_Hefeltthemhefeltthemhefeltthem!_

_I'm done for!_

"Is my attitude… _intolerable?_"

Pit tilted his head, befuddled by this sudden question spoken by the man who hadn't said a word to him since his slumber. He could not meet his vacant, blue-grey eyes.

"…_What? 'Intolerable'?_"

"Aren't… _Aren't you annoyed by me? I whine a lot, right?_"

"Link…!! _Heavens no!_ What makes you think that?!"

Link nestled into the fuzzy scarf curled around his neck, trying to hide his face, "…_I don't want to be a nuisance to you. Haven't I been bothering you with my problems all week…?_"

"Bothering me? _No_… No, Link…"

Pit—acting on a blind impulse—grasped onto the gloved hand of his beloved, pink flaring in his cheeks as he did so, but it did not make much of a difference regarding the cold weather.

"…You're _not_ a nuisance to me… I've _enjoyed_ having you around—_a-and so have the kids!!_ Um… You can come to me… _for anything_… _you should know that_. Don't be ashamed… And right now, you _need _someone to talk to… And not only is it natural to want to release your feelings onto one's shoulder, but it's _healthy_, too… Don't you feel better after telling me your troubles?"

"…_Mmhm._"

"See? It's_ good_ for you, so don't worry about '_annoying_' me… _I'll listen to you, _Link. I'm _always_ going to be there to hear whatever you have to say. _Okay?_"

The hero immersed himself in the angel's truthful, periwinkle eyes. He could not find one falter, one blemish, one lie that he told in those perfect, round orbs staring deep within his withering soul. Pit knew _exactly_ what he wanted to hear, and those sweet, moving words were ones he would comfortably place his scarce supply of trust in without second-guessing himself. Link looked away, nodded lightly while delicately squeezing his hand. He sniffed a little… maybe it was postnasal drip?

"_The winner is…_ Lucario!"

Fans all over roared with excitement; the Pokémon's name could be heard from miles away. Lucario shook hands with Luigi, a perfect example of good-natured sportsmanship, and walked off wearing a proud smirk. Pit rivaled that very smirk, also; according to his agenda, holding Link's hand was something to be proud of.

And until Link got summoned to fight, he was _not_ letting it go.

_Karaoke Friday…_

Roy—wearing a black beanie, sunglasses and an overcoat, whose collar hid most of his neck—entered the lengthy line of fans waiting to enter the colossal arena. Fortunately for him, it was significantly nippy outside due to winter steadily approaching. He would've looked like a real smartass wearing so much black if it were around summertime, and he was very lucky that it wasn't. Roy wanted to keep the conversations and eye contact that he had with others around him at a bare minimum. Nobody needed to know that he was here. He wasn't quite ready for that, yet.

Roy desired to catch up with his old friends and meet some new ones, but didn't want to blow his cover. And so, instead of asking one of the nearby fans for the 411 on everything Smash Bros., he eavesdropped. Hopefully he would pick up many interesting details about the newcomers, his old friends… and his former lover. His old _FGR_—also known as _Fan Girl Radar_—began blipping out of control as his aquamarines wandered upon a small group of giggling girls, and they weren't too far away. Gossip practically _dribbled_ out of their mouths like the saliva of a baby…

Roy tried not to look too suspicious—as if he didn't already—and stood in front of the females, his ears now sound wave receivers…

"_Ohh~!_ Aren't they so _cute_ together?! I've _always_ been for Link and Pit! Now the little angel _finally_ has a chance!" said a girl with endless, blonde hair, clapping her hands.

"_Pit"?_

"They do look nice together, and I'm glad for Pit, too… But I just can't seem to get over all this!! _How could Ike do that to him?!_ And with his _best friend _of all people?! I mean, who's sexier? The prince? Or Link?" inquired the short, brunette, sporting a small "I HEART LINK" button on her camera's lanyard.

"_Prince_," the other two responded immediately in unity.

"_Gah_… you both are idiots…"

_Who's Ike?! And who did what?! To whom?! Who's best friend?! When?! And why?!_

"_I feel sorta bad for Ike_… He was kinda… _torn_, y'know? I mean, he _loved_ him so much…" said the shy one of the group, "…plus, Prince Marth is a—"

"—manipulating, maneating whore?" added the brunette, interrupting the shy, raven-haired girl's statement.

Roy flinched; it took a lot of strength to keep from blowing up in the brunette's face.

_How… How dare you talk nonsense about my prince?! How can you say such demeaning things when you know nothing about him?!_

"Uh… well. _Yeah_. Kinda… but I was looking for—"

"'—_KINDA_'?! The dude doesn't know _who_ he wants!! _First_ he treats Roy like_ trash_—which drives him away—and then he goes onto Link's boyfriend and fucks _him!_ _What next?!_ He steals Pit away from Link and fucks him too just for the hell of it?!" explained the brunette.

_Marth never treated me like trash!! _

…_He… he didn't. He… _

_He was a great lover… _

"_HE BETTER NOT!_ AND I'LL SEE TO THAT PERSONALLY!!"

"I don't think Pit's feeble-minded enough to fall for Marth's _tricks_," said the bashful one, "_Hmm…_ but the prince has _killer_ body. Maybe that's how he roped Ike in—"

"—_NUH-UH!_ Link's the sexy one!! HE'S FUCKING _EDIBLE!!_" the brunette exclaims to her two friends.

"…Marth's body is nice, too!" spoke the raven-haired girl, with some sort of authority in her soft voice.

"_Heh_, forget the _both_ of 'em. _Pit wins hands down_," declared the blonde, which was the sentence that sparked the debate of who wielded the most delectable figure.

"_ARE YOU BEING SERIOUS?! _PIT HASN'T ANY_ BALLS _FOR FUCKS SAKE!" hollered the short brunette, flailing her arms madly above her head.

"HIS BALLS ARE BIGGER THAN MARTH'S!"

The three quarreled over the topic for some time, Roy figuring that he wouldn't get anymore helpful information… Someone suddenly tapped him on his shoulder.

"—Sir?"

"_GYAHH!!_ I'M NOT WHO YOU THINK!!"

The staff member blinked at him, "Uhh… _okay then_. May I verify your ticket?"

"_OH—uhh_—sure!! Um…" Roy calmed down, his cheeks resembling fat pomegranates as he fished around in his thousands of pockets for the entry ticket. The young woman eyed him with suspicion… For one, he looked like a sniper or one who wielded unimaginable weapons in one of his coat pockets. And two, what did he exactly mean by those words?

"_Got it_—I mean, uh, _ehem_—_I have it right here for you, ma'am_."

He put a little too much effort in disguising his voice…

He gave her the ticket; she thoroughly analyzed it for what felt like hours to the swordsman before allowing him passage.

"Enjoy the show!" she said, presenting him with a schedule of the program.

"Th-Thanks!" he replied as he rushed past them…

_Phew… _

_One down… a thousand more to go._

xXx

"This is probably going to sound like a very dumb question, but… Does Pit have some sort of _mad_ _crush_ on Link?"

Marth bat his lashes a few time, inspecting himself in the mirror, specifically the fresh mascara defining his darkened eyelashes. He screwed the skinny top back onto the sleek bottle, smiling at his friend.

"Ike… I cannot _believe_ you just asked that. You're not really observant, are you?"

"When it comes to Pit, then _no_, not really…"

The prince chuckled, placing the mascara bottle back into his make-up bag—more like suitcase—searching in his sea of cosmetics for a nice, pretty shade of lip gloss that would compliment his outfit: a cherry-red sweater adorned with rather huge yet cute black buttons, matching earmuffs, fitting black slacks and shiny, uncomfortable-looking red shoes.

"_Heh_… Pit has a mad crush, alright. I think heloves him_… a lot_. His eyes are on Link ninety-eight percent of the time… And when they're not he's either sleeping or unconscious. When you and Link were together all lovey-dovey and what-not, I couldn't help but notice little Pit hiding behind a tree with the saddest look on his face… _'Scarlet Sunset'…?_ _When did I buy this?_"

Prince Marth found a color gloss out of the hundreds that he owned and decided to give it a try. He popped the cap, smeared a little onto his top lip and squealed with ultimate satisfaction.

"_Ah! Perfect!_ Just the shade I'm looking for!"

"_So_… you're saying that he's had this _thing_ for him for a while?"

"Yup. Personally, I find it kind of cute."

Ike nodded slowly, "_I see_… so he thinks it's _really_ over, huh? He's going to try and be Link's little _superman_ and come to his rescue? _Oh no_, this is _far_ from over. Link and I have gone through _too_ much—we have a _foundation_—and I am _not_ about to let some angel come between us and ruin what took so hard to build!"

Marth finished glazing his thin lips, twisting on the cap of his new, favorite lip balm. The gloss helped his lips appear as shiny and happy, but after those words uttered by the mercenary, they were the exact opposite. He peered down to his hands, which rested adjacent to his obsidian mittens…

_Ike… _

_Face it: that foundation that you speak of… it's crumbled. And I'm afraid that there is nothing you can do to save it. Link made it very clear that he did not want to be with you… nor did he want to continue being my friend. _

_And yet… you still carry hope the size of a single grain of sand…_

…_that's something to admire._

_But… what if Pit's better for him?_

_What if… what if you're better for me? Will you continue to chase after him?_

"Ike…?"

"Yeah?"

"_Sh… Shouldn't…_"

The prince planned to speak what his heart just told him, but he flunked out at the very last second. He'd just gotten Ike back, he didn't want to scare him away with words he was positive the traveler didn't want to hear.

"'_Shouldnnnnn't'… What?_"

"_Sh-Shouldn't I add more blush?!_"

Ike approached him, thoroughly analyzing the youthful, soft face.

"Nah… you'll look like a big cherry even _more_."

"I do_ not_ look like a big cherry!" the prince shouted back, with a playful slap to his face.

"_Yes you do!_"

"…Is that good or bad?"

Ike crossed his arms over his chest, "Well… you look like an _adorable_, big cherry. So it ain't all that bad. But just don't add anymore blush, _please._"

Prince Marth's lips were tugged on both corners of his mouth until they figuratively reached his ears.

"_Thank you!_"

Marth flew over to the mercenary—rising a few feet off the ground—entangling him with his elastic limbs.

"Yeah, you're welcome. _It's five-twenty_. You should get going…"

"_Yes!_"

Marth snagged his CD before he and Ike emerged from the dressing room, the luminescent coliseum only a few yards away.

"Okay, I'm all dressed up, I got my CD, and my stomach has zero butterflies! I'm ready to sing!"

"Make sure you do well," reminded Ike, before he embraced his lovely, petite figure…

…and Marth got his added blush.

"_Thanks for being there for me_… I appreciate your friendship. I really do."

"_U-Um_… You're welcome, Ike."

The tall swordsman pulled away, grinning with a twinkle in his breath-taking cerulean eyes, and patted his shoulder.

"Now go on! _Sing!_"

"_R-Right!_ See you soon!"

The prince took off into the imminent night, Ike just a handful of yards away.

xXx

"_Hello~!_ Hee hee! Good evening, ladies and gentlemen and welcome to Karaoke Friday! I'm Princess Peach Toadstool as you all know, and I will be your hostess for this wonderful, winter evening! Are we ready to get started?!"

There was a somewhat rowdy response from such a vast crowd.

"_Alright!_ Hm, _let's see_… According to this little blue card here, our opening act for tonight is going to be performed _by_—_!_ Oh… Marth."

The princess, disappointment apparent in her squeaky voice, "Prince Marth with '_Sakuranbo_', everyone! _Let's all give him a big hand!_"

Roy craned his neck just as far as an ostrich's would allow, peering above the crowd for his "long-lost" mate—but wasn't too successful due to the persons who apparently had very long torso's, thus blocking his view.

Oh… he was in the front row, second from the front to be precise.

'_Front row seats', my ass, Master Hand._

He then directed his attention to the grand monitors hovering perhaps half a mile above his head. All showed the same image: two, large doors. But as he anxiously awaited the arrival of his prince, he was struck with a thought… Marth was going to appear from behind those two doors at any moment. Roy's heart, just as restless, nervous, and happy, was very painful to cope with. It crawled up his throat, the swordsman having to swallow it before it got a chance to catapult out of his throat and—possibly—land on the stage.

He couldn't remember a time where he was ever so flustered and excited all at once, expect for the time his eyes nearly melted out of their sockets when he laid them on the prince for the very first time.

He had never seen anything so… _perfect _in his life.

Finally, after all this time spent apart, he was going to be reunited with his first, true love.

The handles were turned, and the doors stood a jar. Marth wore a smile that illuminated the brisk, dark sky which dangled above each and every one of their heads.

"Hello everyone~!" he greeted, blowing warm kisses; Roy pretended to catch one of them.

But this audience was anything _but_ warm.

The very moment his right foot stepped onto the stage, a handful of boos circulated about the coliseum, all of them coming from different locations… Marth chewed on his lips a little—but mentally slapped himself… He was ruining his lip gloss. Roy watched the screen, noticing that cute, familiar "nervous" look that the prince put on before he sang or performed, becoming very, very confused.

_Why are they booing him?! He's trying to sing!_

"Uhm… I-I'm—"

"—_slut!_" he heard someone shout.

That single, humiliating word soon multiplied, the boos increasing in volume. Roy, still watching the mammoth-sized screen, sat still in his seat, feeling utterly helpless. He could feel the heart in his prince's body wither… he could see it in his eyes…

_Why are they booing you, honey_, he wondered again and again, _why are they calling you nasty, mean names?_

Although he did not act like it, Roy knew Marth had a somewhat sensitive core shrouded and walled with ice—perhaps with something equivalent to permafrost—so why did he have that hurt look on his face? The Marth Roy knew would think nothing of the ignorant people degrading him from their seats, he knew that the prince wouldn't give the slightest bit about what was being said about him…

But… why did _this_ Marth's clear expression look like he actually cared what others called him?

Marth stood alone on center stage, petrified, scared… and ashamed. The mike—suffocating from the treacherous grip of the prince's hands—echoed the stillness of his breath. Roy wished greatly to rush to his love's aid and save him, but… he couldn't.

He wasn't as ready to meet face-to-face as he thought he would be.

Or maybe… he was just being a big coward. He could only silently pray that someone—anyone—would save Prince Marth from further, public humiliation.

Things eventually got outrageous. As if name-calling wasn't enough, people close to the stage began chucking things at him; Marth didn't even try dodging them. Or… he physically couldn't.

He was standing erect—yet being worn down by the jagged-edged slurs—in the midst of thousands of people who hated him with a passion… Maybe he deserved this. Pit—who was enjoying this evening's entertainment—sure thought so, finding it extremely difficult to refrain himself from exploding into a fit of demonic laughter. He peeked over to his silent crush, whose face was expressionless, but eyes leaking with mixed emotions. The kids were busy playing in their own little groups, Pit very thankful that they were. He did not know how to explain what a 'whoremonger' was to a child, and he'd rather not.

Ike—standing by the entrance doors—hid his hands in his face, probably just as embarrassed as the prince was.

_Dammiiiiit… He's dying up there…_

Marth wanted to _die_, whether it was by the hands of his so-called fans or by the items thrown at him, he just wanted to vanish from the face of the earth. To escape from such corruption, but his legs remained inert…

He just stood there—dazed—fading bit by bit…

…until someone snatched the microphone out of his hands.

"_HEY_… All of you out there? Yeah, every single last one of you _booing?_ Do me a favor: _Shut the fuck up_."

And all was still once again.

"Yeah, yeah… you don't like what Marth and I've done. You've gotten your point across _clearly_. We are very sorry for our actions, but I think it's best for all of you to _keep quiet_ about things that have no relation to you. With that understood, my friend Marth here is trying to sing a song. Now if you wouldn't mind _shutting your mouths_ for at least three minutes, we can get this show on the road. _Thank you_, and enjoy the rest of your evening."

Roy—a little shocked at this mysterious man's striking "favor"—internally thanked Ike for sticking up for Marth like that… but was also left a little curious as to what he meant by "_what Marth and I've done_". What did they do that was so cruel, so lowdown and dirty that the crowd responded the way they did?

"Here ya go," whispered Ike, giving him the mike back. The prince humbly received it.

"_Thank you_…"

"Knock 'em dead."

Ike exited the stage, Marth left alone to face the thousands of hushed people staring back at him… hate might not have been on their tongues, but it shimmered in their dark, displeased eyes, which was rather unnerving.

_O-Okay… Happy thoughts… Happy, happy sugary-sweet thoughts…_

He veiled his crystalline eyes, searching in his memory for the happiest, upbeat moment he'd ever experienced… and it did not take him long to find one.

…_Roy. _

"Alright! I'm ready~!"

Princess Peach nodded at the confident prince, "Okay! Again, 'Sakuranbo' everyone! Hit it!"

The music played only seconds after its request, Prince Marth instinctively hopping into the lyrics…

_Aishiau futari shiawase no sora _

_Tonari dooshi anata to atashi sakuranbo! _

_Techou hiraku to mou ni-nen tatsu naa tte _

_Yappa jikkan suru ne nandaka teretari suru ne _

_Sou iya hidoi koto mo sareta shi _

_Hidoi koto mo yutta shi _

_Nakami ga ippai tsumatta amai amai mono desu—YAY!_

_Naki naki no ichinichi ya jitensha no tabi ya _

_Kakiara wasere nai _

_Datte ooin da mon!_

(For two people who love each other, fortune's in the air

Side by side, you and me, cherries!

Opening my notebook, I realized two years have already passed

It makes me shy,

To remember that he was so rude to me

And I was rude back

We lead such a full life, It was a sweet, sweet thing—_YAY!_

Crying day and night, traveling by bicycle together, etc.

I can't express it all in writing

Since there was too much happening!)

A nostalgic feeling swarmed around in the pit of Roy's tummy as he heard the favorable voice of his former lover… The fluid movements of his body, his soft, squeaky voice, that beautiful, beautiful face on the big screen showcased for all to see…

It was like falling in love all over again…

_Egao saku kimi to tsunagatte tai _

_Moshi ano mukou ni mieru mono ga aru nara _

_Aishiau futari shiawase no sora _

_Tonari dooshi anata to atashi sakuranbo!_

(My smile blooms; I want us to be together

If we have faith in the future, surely we'll see a sign

For two people who love each other, fortune's in the air

Side by side, you and me, cherries!)

Link even smiled a little—Pit clueless as to why he would be smiling at the one who did him wrong. Did Ike have trouble reading this man's mind, too? Ness, Popo, Nana and Toon Link had a blast singing along, though, reading the words from a small screen beside them, along with the thousands of others who a mere minute ago wanted to play hockey with the prince's head.

_Morattara mono wa sou ai wo kanji _

_Ageta mono wa mochiron zenryoku no ai desu _

_Yappa ii mon da yo ne kyoudou sagyou batsu geemu _

_Omoi gake naku rekishi wa sara ni fukai keredo—YAY!_

_Hitotsu demo kaketetara ton demo nai _

_tari nai tari nai! tari nai!! futari no kizuna_

_Egao saku kimi to dakiattetai _

_Moshi tooi mirai wo yosou suru no nara _

_Aishiau futari itsu no toki mo _

_Tonari dooshi anata to atashi sakuranbo!_

(I felt so loved

So, of course I gave you my best love

No wonder it was a good feeling! Working together, and playing punishment games

Unexpectedly, since then our devotion's grown—_YAY!_

The past is deeper than we think

But if even one part was missing, then

It's not enough, not enough! Not enough!! The bond between us

My smile blooms; I want us to hold each other forever

If we expect to be together in the far future,

We will be two people who love each other all the time

Side by side, you and me, cherries!)

Marth finished, thrusting his fist into the air. That song—apparently having some persuasive power, or maybe it was Ike's "influence"—had the crowd cheering for him! Roy roughly leaped into the air, hooting and hollering as he applauded his prince as best he could without giving away his identity to the ones around him.

"_Ohh~!_ Very nice, Marth!" commented the mushroom princess, stepping into the spotlight.

"Thanks! Um,_ before I go_, may I… say something?"

"Oh sure! Just keep it short and sweet!"

He looked into the camera, inhaled steadily and breathed, "Link, _I am so sorry_… _Um…_ really. I really am—_we _really are! I hope you can find it in your heart one day to forgive us! Because… Because I love you_, Linky~!_ I love you so much!!"

"_Awwww…_" cooed most of the crowd, Link blushing at the mention of his name and the sentimental message… from Pit's point of view. He couldn't get inside of his head.

Someone tugged on his shirt…

"_Pit? _What did Prince Marth and Ike do to Link?"

The angel turned to the other blonde—Lucas—on the side adjacent to him.

"_Wellll_… Prince Marth and Ike…_ hurt_ Link… _very, very bad_," he whispered lightly.

Lucas looked the hero up and down, "But… he looks fine. He doesn't have bandages."

"_Ah!_ No, they didn't hurt him _physically_, Lucas. Um… they hurt his_ feelings… _very bad. Which is even worse than hurting someone physically."

"_Ohhhh_… So that's why he was crying this morning?"

"Y-Yeah! But I'm sure he feels _a lot_ better now!"

_At least… I hope he does._

Marth was heading up to his special seat. Ike, who waited for him at the bottom of the stage, climbed the stairs by his side, passing by a spacey, plain-faced Link and an angel wielding a somewhat dangerous, devious glare, designed especially for the mercenary who had also had looked at him the wrong way. That pretty much established their relationship hence forth.

Since the prince apologized, he was hoping the Hyrulean would've at least looked at him and smiled at him, or perhaps knocked him down, squealing, "I LOVE YOU, TOO, MARTH!! LET'S BE BEST BUDDIES AGAIN!" Maybe he expected too much… It took a lot to say "sorry" in front of all those people… And seeing Link continuing to wear that secretive mask of his only made him fret endlessly about the future their severed friendship ever the more…

Ike and Marth sat a couple rows above Link and the angel, the traveler stricken with the desire to keep an eye on the celestial male. He paid special attention to Marth, also, the man just as quiet and still as a colony of small stones. Unlike Link, you could actually tell if he was angry, happy, worried, etc. just by examining his body posture and often the milky color of his eyes… And in this case, Marth's eyes were as dark as coal.

"_Hey_… Why the long face?" the mercenary asked with a gentle, compassionate voice.

"…_I love him_, Ike. _I love him… _so, so much… and I've just realized deeply… what I've done to him. How I've _repaid_ him for _all_ of the things that he's done for me, all the sacrifices he's made just to ensure my happiness,_ our_ happiness… But when_ he_ disappeared, at the end of the day, Link was all I had. He was the _only_ one there for me when _he_ left… Sometimes he'd stay up all night with me, just to make sure that_ I _was okay… He didn't care about how he felt, how sleepy he was… as long as _I_ was happy and as long as I had the strength to see another day… he was alright. He didn't have to bother with me, Ike… he could've just ignored me. He could've just told me to 'suck it up' and forget all about him… But Link is a _special_ type of friend; he was there for me… He didn't have to be there, Ike… h-he—_hic_—didn't..."

Marth's beautiful face crumbled like a paper underneath a booth… His lips quivered, and there, once again, was an unbelievable heaviness in his heart. Those weren't his famous crocodile tears—Ike could now distinctively tell if he was crying serious tears or fake tears. These were _serious_. The taller swordsman sighed, but not in annoyance because of the relentless crying the prince has been doing for the past week, but in sympathy. This friendship of theirs… it was probably the strongest, most impenetrable bond the world had ever known. And to come to the conclusion that he's lost such a unique, priceless bond must have been utterly inconceivable.

Ike did what he felt like he should do…

"_Come here_…"

He gingerly clasped his arm, pulling him into his embrace. It didn't take the monarch long to wrap his limbs around the comforting body… He stuffed his face in Ike's chest, violently choking on his stifled cries… Fortunately, the ear-splitting voices of Kirby and Jigglypuff drowned out the shrieks of pain from the prince. The mercenary swallowed him wholly with his arms, petting his back sweetly while whispering consoling things into his tinted-pink ears...

"_You'll be alright_… _It's not over… you'll see_."

…Roy—witnessing this sudden "move" made on _his_ territory—could _not_ keep still.

_Why_ is this _man_ all snuggled up with_ his_ prince? What was he whispering to him? Why is he combing his fingers through his hair? What is he doing touching Marth anyway? But the question that matter most to Roy was…

…What _exactly_ is he to Marth?

A friend? A comrade? An acquaintance? They had to have some type of relationship! Surely he couldn't be his—

"—_No_…"

That… that couldn't be his… his _boyfriend_.

His new lover, his new partner in crime… His new _"Cuddle Cakes"!_

That was_ his_ special position.

…_That is __my__ prince._

Roy—hell-bent on shining some light on the relationship status of his prince and this other man whom he assumed was this "Ike" that he heard people talking so negatively about—missed some of the spectacular performances. The five, teeny Smashers sang "_Doraemon no Uta_" in adorable, heart-melting harmony—Pit was so proud, and King Dee Dee Dee's magical illusion show, assisted by his faithful Waddledees.

Marth finally reappeared from Ike's arms, snuffling and stretching.

"Did you take a nap…?" Ike asked.

"_I think I did_… I'm sorry… _I got your shirt all wet_."

"_Yes, indeed you did_. It's alright, though. No harm done."

Prince Marth smiled happily; it would've been a cute smile if it wasn't for the melted make-up _hurting_ his features instead of _helping_ them.

"_Um_… Marth?"

He fixed his earmuffs, "Huh?"

"Your make-up. Uh, it's all… weird-lookin'."

The prince blinked, "Hn?"

He flipped out his compact mirror and inspected himself. He looked like the living dead—or maybe something lovelier, like a panda—with those black circles rimming his lightning-blue eyes. The lip gloss he used made his face uncomfortably sticky, and his eye shadow bled well into his forehead region.

"_AHHHHH!_"

He grabbed the traveler by the hand without warning, the both of them sprinting through the exit doors as they headed for the restroom. Roy—determined to not look too suspicious… as if it helped—followed them a few minutes afterwards.

_No one_ was going to be left alone with _his_ prince. That was _his_ business, as well.

_Restroom…_

Marth rinsed and rinsed, scrubbing his eyes with two, moistened cotton pads. He had already removed the eye shadow from his brow and the gloss from his lips and the corners of his mouth, but no matter how much pressure he applied to his eyes, neither the eye liner nor mascara would fade!

"_Any luck?_"

"_Nnngh_… _No!_"

Roy, a few meters from the door, crept closer for a more clear reception of the dialogue taking place. Hopefully the dead, fall leaves crunching beneath his feet wouldn't give him away…

…He felt like a _spy_.

"_Gah_… _It won't come off_, Ike! _So stubborn!!_" pouted the prince.

"_Oh?_ Here, let me help."

Roy gulped… _What won't come off?_

Ike waltzed over to the prince, grabbed a cotton pad and placed it under the faucet. He drained some of the water out by clutching it with his fist.

"_Face me_."

Marth turned towards him and the mercenary grasped his chin. Gently, he wiped all the black remnants away; all it took was time and patience. That explained much of why it wouldn't come off under Marth's forcefulness.

Roy swore he heard something drop…

"_There you go_…"

The prince looked in the huge mirror, beaming, "_Ah_… I see you're very good at this, Ike. _Past experience_, maybe? _I knew there was a side of you that I've yet to discover_…"

The mercenary chuckled darkly, tossing the waded pad into the small trashcan.

"_Heh, sure_, Marth. Sure."

The prince giggled as he fanned his lashes, giving his eyes some needed oxygen.

"_Thanks, _Ike… It feels so much better…" he soothingly rubbed his cheeks, "I think I put on a lot last time... maybe that's why it was so sticky_…_" explained the prince, referring to his mascara.

"Do you have some with you?"

The monarch searched in his pockets for his mascara bottle, giggling, "Of course I do! I keep some on me just in case. You never know when you might need it. _Like now_, for example."

Roy's jaw crash-landed onto the dirty soil. _Need what?_

Ike scrunched his brows…

"You keep it in your _pocket?_"

"_Uh huh!_ It's easier to apply when it's nice and warm. _Although it does get quite messy_… It's a_ pain_ to clean up; _it smears everywhere_."

"_I'll bet_."

The redhead harshly bit down on his tongue… What was easier to apply when it was "_nice and warm_"?

"_Stupid top_… Can you unscrew this for me?"

Ike received the skinny, mascara bottle, and twisted the bright-blue top right off with zero hassle.

"Thank you," said the prince with an energetic smile, which almost instantly morphed into a weak frown, "Aw… _I'm about to run out_."

"You think that'll be enough?"

"_Well_… yeah. I don't really need a lot, anyway, but I'll make sure that I buy some more… _Maybe I'll get the strawberry-scented kind…_"

Ike blinked, "People actually _make_ that?"

"_You didn't know?!_ There's _Blueberry, Raspberry, Orange_… And my favorite: _Strawberry._ Isn't that the one you secretly like?"

He flickers his flashes.

"…_No_."

Marth gaped, "_Whaaaaaaaaat?_ You don't...? And all this time I've been thinking that you liked 's the only reason why I kept buying it_…_" Marth hung his head_, _"_It's expensive_, you know_._"

Ike laughed, "_No_, Marth… I'm saying that I really don't _care_ about what kind of flavor or special scent or _whatever_ type you get… I'd rather you not put on _any_ at all. I think you're fine just the way you are…"

Marth blinked, a weak smile forming on his thin, bare lips, "_Really?_"

"Really."

"Oh... _Okay_."

Marth put away all of his make-up, "_Wow_… I think this is the first time that I've ever gone _bare_…"

"It's not that bad. Maybe you'll grow to like it."

"_Gah_…_ I'm_ _nervous_, Ike… _It feels so uncomfortable_."

"It's _okay_… One time won't hurt... C'mon… You ready?"

"_Y-Yeah_…"

That was it; that was the last straw.

Roy had heard enough. He got what he wanted—the cold, hard truth. He'd been slapped with it, trampled with it… and his heart could not withstand anymore. He ran, skipped, galloped… He did whatever he had to do to get away from that door, and to leave the couple in peace…

_Marth… _

_It's me… _

_Roy. _

_Your "Cuddle Cakes", your "Pookie Bear", your "Sweetie Pie"…_

_Have you really forgotten all about me?_

The prince poked his head out the door…

"What's wrong?"

"Eh… I thought I heard someone," Marrth shrugged, "_Paranoia_. Oh well, _let's get back_…"

(**A/N:** Poor Roy thought that Marth and Ike were about to "get it on", when in actuality, Ike was just helping him with his mascara. And by the way, Roy thought they were discussing about lube -heeheeha- In case you're kind of slow, like me.)

_Karaoke Friday…_

"What a wonderful,_ wonderful_ duet Kirby and Jigglypuff (1)! Very good job!" Peach cheerfully commented, clapping while glancing to her program card for guidance, "Now, next up we_ haaaaaave_..._!_"

She thoroughly read it over and over… and over again.

"…_LINK?!_"

Pit couldn't breathe; the kids were jubilant.

Ike's jaw roughly disconnected with his mouth, along with Marth's.

And the entire audience erupted with a roar of praise and excitement. Link casually got up out of his seat and made his way onto the stage. The princess thrust the microphone into his chest…

"You're going to sing for us?!" she asked, taking another detailed look at her card, "'_Michiyuki_'?!"

"…Yes—"

"—And the card also mentions that you're going to play the piano! You can play the piano?!"

The blonde humped his shoulders, "Yeah… Certain things."

"Wow! Um—_Somebody! Find a piano for him, please!!_ I'm sorry, we would've had it out sooner if I had paid attention… _But…_ I really wasn't expecting you to sing tonight—well, err—_ever...!_"

Link snickered lightly, "I can understand that…"

"While they're getting that done, let's chat a little bit! _An interview_, if you will! You don't mind if I ask some questions, do you?"

The crowd—mostly the females—urged the blonde to say, "No".

"_Uh_… No… not really."

"So! How have you been?"

Link scratched his head, "_I've been_… okay," he said, "Um… Some days are a little rough, but I manage to get by…"

"Oh… Well, things will get better for you, honey."

Link swallowed, "Yeah, I hope so…"

"What makes you want to sing after such a long silence...?"

"I… I just like the song. It's pretty."

_Pit probably will not sing with me this time…_

"But aren't you a little nervous?" inquired the mushroom princess, with a hint of concern.

"A little. Not much…"

"But you were nervous on stage last week, _right?!_ I still cannot get over that!! Link you were so _cute~!_"

The fans agreed as they all remembered he historic performance of the "Hare Hare Yukai", their screams loud enough to wake the deafest of men. Link softly giggled into his mike, "Um… yes, I was _very_ nervous, but dancing and singing are two different things."

"Will you do something like that again in the future?!"

"…_Maybe_."

"Oh… okay! Looks like they've brought the piano here, so now I can stop butting into your business and you can go sing for all of us!! _Ah!!_ But I have one, final question…"

"Hm?"

"You _are_ single… right?"

That question roused an ecstatic commotion in the thousands of people… Link bit his lip, smiling like an angel, "_Uhm_… _yes_. I am single."

A roar from handfuls of single women—and men—nearly burst his ear drums.

"Hee hee~! You didn't hear it from me, ladies and gentlemen! Thank you, Link, good luck!"

Link passed Princess Peach his mike—one was already installed on the grand piano—and strides over to the polished, onyx piano in front of him. Pit gazed upon his crush, amazed at his courage…

"'_Michiyuki'… I really love this song_,"_ Pit dreamily muttered._

"_Why don't you sing it for Karaoke Friday? You have a beautiful voice," Link brought up as they flipped through one of this hundreds of song books. Pit blushed a lovely pink at that compliment, "I-I'm way too nervous. I'm never going on that stage again… It's scary being up there by myself…"_

"…_What if we sing together?" _

_The little brunet blinked, "Together?"_

"_Yeah, just you and me."_

_Pit stared pointblank into Link's soft, gorgeous eyes. Goose bumps accumulated on his skin as a reaction… which was very common for him. He quickly looked back into his song book, nervously flipping to another page…_

"…_I… I would like that very much."_

Link—deafened by the chant of his name from across the arena—sighed his insecurities away as he sat on the piano stool, using perfect posture. He adjusted the seat a bit—his feet could barely touch the ground—and lowered the mike so it would practically kiss his lips.

Pit observed the Hyrulean from the big screens, a little distracted by the children's squeals.

"_LINK'S SINGING! LINK'S GONNA SING!!_"

The noise level settled when Link's fingers rested on the ivoride keys. And within seconds, he began to play…

(**A/N: Bold**= Pit & Link singing simultaneously)

_setsunasa no kagiri made dakishimete mo_

_itsumade mo hitotsu ni wa narenakute_

_yasashisa yori fukai basho de_

_fureau no wa itami dake_

_futari wo musunde kudasai_

_bokura wa mou yume wo minai_

_tomadoi nagara te wo totte_

_zankoku na yoake no hou he_

_arukidasu_

(Even if you embrace me until it's suffocating

We will never become one.

In a place deeper than gentleness

Touching each other is merely pain.

Please bind the two of us.

We will dream no more,

Joining hands in uncertainty

Walking towards

The cruel dawn.)

All ten fingers were nimble as they transitioned from key to key, his voice as pure and as faultless as an angel. Such a voice wielded they very power to drive demons back to the blazing, merciless pits of hell.

Pit—blown out of the water—drooled at the harmonic sound waves bursting from such an injured soul… How could one go through so much and yet still have this strong, lovely voice that resounded pleasantly through every pair of ears in that stadium like a lullaby? And to bemuse him even more, Link was as timid as could be when it came to things of this nature, or so he thought.

He had told Link that he didn't have a problem singing by his side, but he had no idea—no warning from the blonde, whatsoever—that he was going on stage.

_hontou no kotoba wa kitto_

_hontou no sekai no dokoka_

_bokura no mukuchi na yoru ni_

_hisonderu_

_ima mo kitto_

(True words are surely

Somewhere in the true world,

Lurking

In our wordless night.

Surely even now)

"You all," Pit whispered to the children, who were also wrapped up in the blonde's spell, "I'm… I'm going to be right back. Be good...!"

Two beady eyes blinked at him, but he could not tell which child they belonged to. The darkness consumed them all, but he would later find out that it was Lucas.

"Pit?"

The brunet took off, making a hasty break for the stage. After requesting for a mike from the staff members—who looked at him as though he were a fool—he was finally ready to join Link in song, to overcome his fear, and to bear witness to the mysterious power of the blonde man's incredible voice.

Link spread his lips to began a new verse when a new vocal had been added,

(Pit)

_sabishisa wo shiru tame ni deau no da to_

_kuchidzuke wo kawasu made shiranakute_

(Meeting each other in order to know loneliness,

We won't know until we exchange a kiss.)

The blonde—continuing to caress the piano keys—shot up, recognizing that set of romantic vocals belonged to the one and only angel he knew. He stared into the darkness, searching for that extraordinary pair of wings, but was soon aided by the enormous spotlight that shone on him.

Pit, some feet from the grand piano, smiled sweetly and gently at the man across from him, and allowed Link to take over,

(Link)

_soredemo ima kimi to aeta_

_yorokobi ni furuete iru_

_kokoro wo sasaete kudasai…_

(Even so, I am trembling with the joy

Of having met you.

Please support my heart…)

Pit sat close to the blonde on the piano stool who played the keyboard with great cautiousness. Their eyes were full of such amazing warmth and tenderness, it nearly hurt to look into them…

_**bokura wa mou yume wo minai**_

_**atatakai basho he nigenai**_

_**zankoku na yoake wo kitto**_

_**koete yuku**_

_**akirameteta sono shizukesa**_

_**hontou no kotoba wo kitto**_

_**aishi kizutsuke au tame ni**_

_**sagashidasu**_

_**itsuka kitto**_

(We will dream no more,

We can't run to a warm place.

We will surely overcome

The cruel dawn.

The abandoned quietness

Will surely find

The true words

In order to lovingly hurt each other.

Someday surely)

Pit giggled during the musical interlude, watching his love make beautiful music with his fingers… He was so happy, so carefree… It didn't even feel like thousands of people were watching the two of them intensely in the limelight. Well, he couldn't see them. Link smiled at the angel who wished very much to kiss him right then and there… He looked like the angel Pit knew he was with such soft light raining down upon his flawless skin…

(Link)

_setsunasa no kagiri made dakishimete mo,_

(Even if you embrace me until it's suffocating,)

(Pit)

_itsumade mo hitotsu ni wa narenakute._

(We will never become one.)

_**yoake mae no tsumetai hoshi**_

_**futari dake no michiyuki wo**_

_**douka terashite kudasai.**_

(O cold starts before dawn,

Please light

The path that's just for us.)

The song came to a wonderful end, Link and the angel continuing to gaze each other's eyeballs off as their lips refused to cease smiling. Pit had never felt so proud of himself in his life. He sang on stage for the second time—by the blonde's side. This was something that he truly would not forget.

Link—grinning like a toothless child—was so very proud of the brunet, and himself. He knew he could do it… the both of them could.

"I knew you could do it, Pit…"

The angel giggled and smirked, "You, too."

Link touched his hand, which made Pit's heart stop, and gradually the darkness lifted off them and the thousands of people whose heads practically exploded as they cheered their throats raw. But the pair paid the rooters no mind… Only Link existed in Pit's world, and Pit was the only being that Link knew was alive at the moment.

This day will be forever referred to as the day Link unconsciously fell in love with the angel Pit.

xXx

After the show, Pit and Link hung around a little bit as everyone else retreated from the cold and into the mansion. Ness, Popo, Toon Link, Nana and Lucas huddled close together, distributing their body warmth with one another, supervised by the all-knowing Pit. Link, the angel and the little ones were also well on their way to warm up with some of the angel's yummy chili—or soup for Nana and Popo, who weren't accustomed to eating spicy things.

"I feel like a penguin!" admitted an apple-cheeked Nana, snuggling closer to Toon Link. The angel snickered at the child's remark.

"You all look like a bunch of penguins cuddled together like that!"

Link gently chuckled here and there, warm sensations bubbling in the angel's blood… He could never remember such a time where he was so, _so_ in love with the blonde.

"—Link! Aren't you cold?!"

The swordsman blinked over to the kids, specifically Ness.

"Um… Yeah, I'm a little cold."

All five of them crowded around him, waddling as they imitated the silly movement of little penguins.

"We'll keep you warm!" Nana told Link with a shining grin. The other little ones nestled around his legs and flashed their innocent smiles at the hero, which formed an even bigger smile across Link's full lips.

"You all are very sweet," the Hyrulean looked to his right, to the angel, "I see where they get their good notions from."

Pit scratched the back of his head, "Uh… Thanks."

"_No_—Thank you, Pit. For all that you've done for me. I'm really, really thankful to have a friend like you."

"You're welcome, Link!! A-Anytime!"

Link beamed at his angelic friend, and then to the kids below.

"Thank you guys, I'm all warm and toasty, now! But… I think Pit needs a little warmth, too."

The pint-sized Smashers then waddled to their "guardian", cuddling up to his long legs. Link supplied his friend with toastiness, also, bringing his body into a friendly, heart-warming embrace.

Time passed quickly along with the now cloudy and slightly gray sky, and as Pit prophesied, around eight, tiny flakes of perfection floated gracefully onto the frozen ground: Snow. Snowflakes fell from the heavens above; squeals of delight from the kids could be heard all about the manor.

"It's snowing!"

"Pit!! You were right!"

"Snow! Snow, snow!!"

They leaped into the air, boisterously playing in the fresh fallen snow, whereas the two, much taller Smashers stood where they were.

Pit overloaded with warmth and happiness… Link's body practically melted against his own as both sets of arms soulfully enfolded the other's frame, creating an unbreakable, cement bind that could _and_ would _never_ be severed. To Link, it may have been a friendly "Thank you" hug, but for the angel… it meant… so much more…

_You can come into my arms whenever you need something…_

…_anything…_

_They're always open for you…_

_Always, always…_

"_Aa_… _Aaah_… _Aa-_choo!"

"_Bless you_."

_How cute… He sneezes like a little mouse._

The blonde sniffled, "Thanks… Sorry."

"No… it's okay. I think you're coming down with something. Let's all go in and warm up…"

"_Aw…!_" whined the kids, who blatantly protested against the angel's decision, but Pit's word was final.

Unwillingly, all five of them marched behind their caretaker and his crush…

xXx

"W-Would you like more chili?!"

"Is it too hot? Too spicy?!"

"Do you need more water?!"

"Would you like another slice of bread?!"

Pit somewhat disturbed the blonde with his repetitious questions, but he wanted him to be comfortable… He wanted everything to be perfect. The children giggled at him from their small table. They'd never seen him so flustered before!

"I'm fine, Pit… Everything's fine… and delicious. You're a very good cook."

That caused a massive blush to stain the angel's lovely cheeks, "Th-Thanks.

"You can sit down. The kids are already eating, I'm eating… all that's left is you. You must be hungry."

"…Yeah."

Link kindly fixed him a bowl of the hot stew, and both of them sat down and ate together… It was rather nice. Later on when the food settled in all their stomachs, Pit prepared his special, promised, peanut butter cookies—with the blonde's help, of course, who imprinted happy faces on every single one—since _no one_ was successful in winning the "cloud challenge"… but he expected that.

Pit poured them tall glasses of milk—small, plastic cups for the little ones—which were greatly needed to wash down the delicious cookies. Piping laughter and love filled the chipper dorm as many of them began sharing stories about their own personal adventures. Toon Link's were as silly as ever as he reenacted the events with great energy, almost knocking down his milk. Link spoke about his adventures, as well, having to repeat over and over about the one where he turned into a wolf as a request from the entertained children.

Sadly, Link had to leave the dorm and head for bed. Pit and the five Smashers, who were reluctant in letting him go, saw him off…

They wished him "Sweet Dreams", Pit waving shyly down the hall…

Link eventually returned to his cold, lonely dorm, but the feeling of depression did not engulf him as it did on all the other days. Link took a hot shower, dressed himself and plopped right into bed. And not once did the thought of two, strong arms embracing him litter the back of his mind… Happiness filled his stomach along with the best chili he'd ever tasted, hope for another perfect day as that one had been, and—he was unaware of it at that moment—Pit's unconditional love…

…A love that spilled over and dripped onto the fabric of his sugar-spun dreams.

* * *

Finally!! I'm officially finished with this chapter! -fingers fall off- Hope it wasn't too long for you guys. It's nearly 40 pages long! lD

Hokage's (_meaningless_) Points:

(1): I believe that Jigglypuff is a boy… I remember reading it from somewhere. Brownie points to whoever finds this out…

**DragonSorceror: **83 I love _ALL_ of your reviews!! For this story AND for BWQ! xD

**Sachiko V:** I want nothing more than for Link and Pit to finally get together~ And for Ike and Link to make up… But a lot of other stuff has to happen... D: Yes, and it does get worse and worse...

**Ms. Usui:** Waah, you don't like Marth? He's adorable!! -squeezes Marth doll- "If you think Marth's so adorable then why do you demonize him a lot, Hokage?" Ehh, I don't know... I just wanna see him as a bad guy for once. 'Cause in every fic he's all perfect, but I wanted to keep him feminine. I mean, what other guy just stands there and brushes his bangs? Oh, and I finally got the Clawshot (after hours and hours of dying over and over again like an idiot) thanks for your help!! And playing TP 15 times? Wow. That deserves a cookie -hands chocolate chip cookie-

**Katastrophic132:** Ahh, thank you, thank you. And I kinda wanted to do something different, too, seeing the standard one yaoi pairing per fanfic. There's a lot coming up in this story, so I hope you're ready for it!! Thanks for the encouragement! I gives ya a cookie--no, a BIG cookie! -hands big cookie- xDD

**Lunar Guardian:** You must've been going crazy since this update is so late. GAH! I'm sorry! Yes, Roy was very jealous, and he did see Marth get his ass booed off stage xD

**Kufuffelupagus:** Phew... I'm sure glad I didn't disappoint ya, and why Roy left? That'll be revealed... _in the future_. Ha haa, no,_ maybe_ in the _NEXT_ chappie.

**Gathouria: **Pipes? O.o That's sounds like some hard work, but I'm sure you're finished with them by now xD Me and my lateness…

**Invader Aqua: **Pit can be seme, too~ And I shall prove it in ALB! But he'll switch with Link every now and then…Link will always be an uke in my book C:

**Rayestar Ikina: Y**eah… Spanish does have a lot of cognates of English… More than French has… and I'm learning that now. Learning professions? In French? "Infirmier"? "Policier"? Ehh… that's easy. But, "Bibliothecaire"? The only way I can remember that that word means "Librarian" is the stem "Biblio" which is sorta related to "Book" or somethin' like that. The agony… I'm sure as hell not taking Spanish, now. I'd have to forget some of the French rules and try not to get mixed up while reciting numbers. 'Cause they're so much alike that it's scary. And you're lucky that you've surrounded yourself with loyal friends and have not been associated with the male species. But I guess it kinda motivated me to make this sorta fic! :D

**xXAngelic ScarsXx:** Hmm... Well, what I've figured out about most guys (and I'm not talking about ALL of them, because there are some good guys out there, I tend to end up with the idiots most of the time) is that if there's something they know they can fix, but it's too complicated and they don't want to spend the time to fix it, they'll just leave you and avoid solving anything altogether. Lazy asses... WEEE! I loved the Guppy part, too!

**Kurai:** As you've probably read, yep! Roy sees Ike and Marth together, but he does not confront them on this. Kinda wanted him to, but I was like, "Nahh... maybe a little later." SORRY! I bet so many of you are so pissed because of that xDDD Thanks for the "Happy Birthday", too!! PitXLinkness is possibly the less kinky, cute kinda couple out of the entire SSB yaoi couples ever imagined. EEE~

**A is for Angst:** Ha! Pit is not as innocent as he may give off... Link's a single, little fishie now, and he sees this as a perfect chance to reel him in with his hook of _luuuuurve_. So obvious xDDD I liked the guppy part with Marth, I can totally see him saying something like that~! Ah! Thanks for the birthday wish! :DDD

**Flock o' Seagulls:** You're welcome for the cake! And I hope you did well on the exams, too! Roy will be reunited with Marth soon, and he'll meet Pit, Ike and all the other newcomers, too! But I'll tell you this right now: Roy and Ike actually become very good friends.

That's all I'm saying~ ;D I sure bet Ganon was staying off to the side. Lol, I can just see him standing on the sidelines, his arms crossed and he's just staring blankly into the distance while Marth and Ike's blood is splattering on him, Link's beast-like growls in the background... xDDD Funnyness... And yay! I reached 200! I honestly didn't think I'd get past one hundred xD But it's a miracle! Maybe I'll get 300! Or maybe that's just aiming too high.

**Ernoma:** Marth kinda has a mind of his own. Ike has a _penis_ with a mind of its own. So yeah, both have clueless minds... and poor ickle Link finding his former best friend in his former lover's arms. If I was him, I would've put the two of them in Medieval Time-like hell with torture devices... the whole works. :D But Link's obviously not me... so they're lucky. Hmmm... Well, eventually Pit will kiss Link (and what a kiss it will be, hoho…). I mean, he kissed him in this chapter, but he wasn't conscious, so that doesn't really count, I would think. And plus it wasn't on his lips, so yeah. But they will kiss! And whenever I get around to writing "The Deflowering of a Vulnerable, Adorable Uke Link by the Light/Dark Sadistic Angels", I will definitely mention you (I should start brainstorming that, and that's not going to be the title just to let you know xDDD)!! Oh, and whenever you scan it, please send me the link to it! Or you could just tell me your name :D

**JtheChosen1:** Ike IS an idiot because anyone who'd leave Link--one of the cutest little things in all of Nintendo, _in my opinion_, of course--for some psychopathic prince is... _actually_... not all that dumb. GAH! Take that back!! Marth only has his looks and he's a total female... Link is a cutie pie, too, and he's actually very nice! So that's two for Link and one for Marth! :DDD Roy returning and facing Marth (and Ike, for that matter...) another chapter I cannot wait to write~!! Oh yes, Marth will feel the pain. I will make sure that he does, ho ho... -sadistic-

**lyudesshadow:** Roy is back, well, not officially yet, but, at least there's some dialogue going on...

He'll show his face soon to the others...

**DarkItachi22:** A Lover's Brawl will make you feel sorry for two characters for one moment, and then angry at them the next i.e. Ike and Marth. Ughh... I hate/like the beginnings of a new semester. Why I like it is because--in some schools like mine--you start out with all one hundreds! But what I hate about it is you can get a one hundred and then get like, a fifty, and your grade lowers to a fifty. It's dumb. And do you know how long it takes to pull that up (I don't have a fifty, by the way xD)? Did everything go okay with the music deal thing with your teacher? O.o Knowing me and the degree of my laziness, I would've just taken an incomplete, only if I already had like, an "A" in that class. One zero wouldn't hurt, heh... I don't think. Oh and the Gay spam in my inbox has toned down a little... to a tolerable level. Oh, don't worry! Hearing about other people's lives is amusing!! :3 In a positive way, of course.

**The Mad Joker:** Don't feel bad! I wanted Link to cry, too! I mean, you can't go through something like _that_ and not _cry_... That's just... _inhuman_. But Pit was there to comfort him!! Roy didn't do anything (that coward), and will Marth ever regret being with Ike. I would imagine so in the future, that is, if they're not together in the future, _fu fu_... Yes, I hope I get more time to write, too, with exams over and all... and Spring Break is coming up~! _YAAY._

**J.S.N:** Did you have a previous pen name? Because I do not quite remember you, heh... -feels like a loser- lD Anywho, I'm pleased to say that I finally got the Clawshot (heh... "Clawbot" -feels even more like a loser-). I just had to make Link jump off an edge-thingy and the whole staircase like, did a complete one-eighty. I was like... "Dude, okay… That handle-thing was just dangling there forever and all I had to do was grab onto it?" I have no idea HOW I'm going to beat Ganon if I couldn't even figure _that_ out (do you have to beat Ganon on TP? I would imagine... since you have to beat him or somebody evil on every single Legend of Zelda game... Only on the ones I've played, though, and I haven't played many... -wants Phantom Hourglass but spent money on yaoi manga- TT - TT I was so close to getting it, but then I miraculously found Loveless Volume 3 hiding in some other yaoi books, and that volume is--for some reason--the hardest to find... Hmm, I wonder why... AN-NEE-WHHOOOO.... I wouldn't have apologized to Ike, and I'm glad Link didn't. Cheating on me with my best friend? That should be against the law, or something. _'Why Ike? Why do you have to be a manwhore?' _I laughed at that around my friends as I checked my email in the library--which I got sent out of--and they were like, "What the hell?" It was a random laugh, cause everyone was all quiet. Then that one old lady that looks at me funny kicked me out. But eh, oh well. Ike can't help it! If you had to choose Roy, Marth or Link, who would you pick? Hell, I'd pick all of 'em. Oh and if you posted the IkeXLink story, please send me the link! D: For some reason I can't get to your little bio page-thing. My computer/internet are losers.

**Ichininmae:** Don't worry about waiting to reply... As long as I know people are reading this piece of junk and I'm not wasting my time writing it, then that's fine with me! When Ike was begging Link to not leave him, that's oddly becoming to be my most favorite part in the entire chapter so far... And I adore IkeXLink and I'd rather them stay together! But Ike didn't deserve him… Will they ever get back together? :O That is for _me_ to know and for _you_ to find out... Cl Link sumo wrestling -pant- _Eee_... I wanna start a new file just to see it again... Thank you! I shall keep this story interesting!! -hands cookie- C:

**-XKajiX-:** Very glad to hear that you like it!! Looks like you've established the "manwhore" title for Ike already xD But that's what he is! It sorta makes you feel bad for him, but he's a manwhore… A "sweet" manwhore… xD Hmm… I wouldn't want him back after all the stuff that he'd put me through if I were Link. But yes, we shall see who Link picks in the end. I bet he feels really dumb for letting such things happen behind his back. I mean, that's how I felt. "How could I not have realized that this was going on right in front of my face?!" And I loved the banana part with Pit! :DDD They were going to be apples, instead… but I changed my mind… the condom part is also my favorite! Link might need it if he ever decides to go back with Ike—which would be foolish—who knows who he's slept with by then. Ahh! Thanks for the compliments! I feels special… lD Thanks for the nice reviews!! –hands gynormous chocolate chip cookie- The very last one!

Done.

Sorry… It's been a while. And technically I'm not supposed to be on the computer right now (but I'm a ninja), fu fuu… I'm basically punished back into the 18th century.

_**Next Chapter… **__MOAR __**PITXLINKNESS**__. _Ike decides to confront Link about his little "relationship" with Pit, but things don't go smoothly as the angel interferes. Roy contemplates on whether to return and face the music… And another **MarthXRoy flashback**. Hmm… Perhaps about why the redhead left in the first place?

I shall be back lovelies with an all new chapter~

But until then, I await your kind reviews!

:D

Much Love,

HokageAkamaru


	17. Ike's Curse

Title: A Lover's Brawl

Pairing(s): **IkeXLink**,** IkeXMarth**, Eventual** MarthXRoy**, Eventual** PitXLink**

Rating: M

**Full Story:** _Link has always been the quiet, shy type. That is… until Ike came into his life. Since then, Ike and Link have been an inseparable item ever since they've laid eyes on each other. Marth, coping with his broken heart after the disappearance of his very own lover—Roy—had secretly loved Ike from the beginning. But it was too late, Link was the only one on Ike's mind._

_With his seductive powers and body, he lures Ike to him, the both of them sharing many nights together. And ever since, Ike has not been able to let him—nor his delicious shape—go. Link is totally unaware of this, Ike constantly lying to him about his whereabouts to protect he and his prince's relationship. With whole-hearted trust, Link believes every single word._

_Marth wants a fully committed relationship with Ike—tired of hiding it—and he will do anything to get it, even if that means hurting one of the people that he loves the most._

_But there is one more person that complicates this plot._

_Someone who watches his crush from afar._

(This story takes place after Super Smash Brother's Melee, the reason why Roy is "missing")

**A/N:** Apparently March was "Give-Hokage-A-MAJOR-Test-Grade-Project-In-Every-Goddamn-Subject" Month, so I was totally immersed in all the major tests/projects that were hurled at me, which totally killed my muse. So please pardon the lateness, that is, if you consider this chapter late. I sure do, since I regularly update fairly quick…

And plus I got sort of lazy—yes, I'll admit it—but doesn't every great writer from time to time?

…

I bet none of you are totally _crazy_ about my pathetic school/life troubles.

Onto what you've been waiting for…

-overlooks chapter for the billionth time-

_Hmm…_ Fluffy **PitXLink**ness, **MarthXRoy**ness (Flashback, as I promised), and **IkeXLink**ness!

You: "_Wait_—'_**IkeXLink**_ness'? Aren't they supposedly _broken up?_"

Well, yes,_ they are_, but… _Eh…_ _You'll see._ Wouldn't want to spoil the chapter. This'll probably be the last bit of IkeXLinkness that you'll see in a while (unless they are flashbacks), which saddens me greatly D:

I mean, it_ seriously_ breaks my heart.

Seriously.

Hmm... _Oh!_ And for those that love Pit's episodes with the children, then this will be a great chapter for you!

Gomen for mistakes!

:)

* * *

_May 20th… 12:34 A.M._

_The things this man does… It's unbelievable. _

_Unbelievable, unbelievable. _

_I've noticed that he doesn't consider my feelings—or how I feel—before he does anything. _

_AN-NY-THING. _

_And it's beginning to agitate me to the point where I simply cannot tolerate it any longer!_

_Yes, I believe in innocent flirting, but Marth took it a little—hell, not even a little—TOO far tonight… and with the waiter of all people. _

_THE WAITER._

_HE __FLIRTED__ WITH THE __WAITER__ ON __OUR__ DATE! AND THEN HE SEES NOTHING OF IT!_

_AND—! _

_AND THEN HE—! _

_AND THEN HE HAS THE AUDACITY TO CALL ME A—! _

_A—!_

_A… _

…_A crybaby. _

_A big, big crybaby…_

_Flashback…_

An impatient, ticked-off Roy forcefully kicked open the automatic double doors of the Smash manor, his reddened ears burping thick clouds of hot, tar-colored smoke—_figuratively speaking—_as his stiff arms and fists remained by his sides… A somewhat befuddled Prince Marth followed his frustrated love close behind; his pleas for him to slow down were totally drowned out for whatever reason.

"_Cuddle Bunny!!_ _Don't run away from me!!_ Come back~!!"

His petty, little name-calling wasn't going to get him _anywhere_ this time. What he had done on their intimate dinner date—one that wouldn't have been possible without Link's persistent encouragement for them to have a night alone together—was unforgivable.

"I cannot _believe_ you, Marth!! _And directly in front of me!!_" Roy spat to himself, the shrill of his voice reflecting from the many walls of the manor. He started upstairs, but stopped to furiously toss his king-sized bouquet of pink tulips smack-dab in the middle of the prince's face.

"Here! Have your _damned _flowers! _I hate tulips anyway!_"

Prince Marth blinked stupidly with a mouthful of pink petals as he continued to watch Roy make his trek up into his dorm.

_But I could've sworn that he said his favorite flowers were tulips… _

"_Rooooooy!_" the confused monarch whined in that childish, ear-splitting tone, which usually made his lover unwillingly melt into forgiveness…

But—_for the second time_—it was a useless effort.

"_Pumpy-kins…_ Talk to me!"

Marth followed his lover up the shiny stairs…

…until the redhead came to an abrupt halt.

"_Oh_, _now_ you want to talk to me?! _Now_ you decide to give me some _attention?!_"

Marth blinked in utter bewilderment.

"_What...?_ What are you talking about, darling? _Haven't_ _I been giving you attention all night?_"

Roy placed his hands on his hips, "_I certainly beg to differ!_ I'm finding myself wondering if you truly understand why I'm so angry with you!"

"And_ that_ is why I'm asking you to slow down so I can figure out _why_ you're acting this way! At one minute you were all happy, and then you all of a sudden storm out of the restaurant without another word the next!! _What did I do?!_ I do not understand!"

Roy blinked, the shattered shards of his broken heart breaking yet another time. Another fresh batch of tears dared to drip from his grey eyes…

"You're… You're honestly telling me… that you have no idea why I'm mad at you? _Why I left the restaurant?_"

"_YES_, Roy, _YES!_ And I would very much like to know why!"

There was silence… The facial expression of sheer astonishment and disbelief on the redhead's face transformed into one that would permanently sour it… and one that would leave a vital imprint in the prince's memory. Marth—figuring he had said or at least did something wrong—steadily crept up to him as if he were a gentle, petrified deer, in hopes of being able to touch and console the man he loved…

"…I don't like seeing you angry, sweetie. It makes me sosad. And seeing you cry makes me even—"

"—_Marth?_"

"_Y-Yes_, _Sugarplum?_"

A kind hand branched out to caress the damp skin of the redhead's cheek, but Roy fiercely slapped it away.

"I've… I've _never_… met _anyone_ like you. _Ever. In my life_. You are the very _definition_ of a true—_a genuine_—_idiot_."

Roy left it at that, resuming his journey to his dorm, whereas Prince Marth stood frozen in his shoes, letting his lover's cold words sink into his dry brain. But it did not take long. Either way he looked at it, Roy had just called him an idiot.

An _idiot._

Not "Snuggle-Muffin", "Cherry-Bear", nor his all-time personal favorite, "Turtledove".

And he hated to admit it, but, the words left an everlasting burn in his heart…

_Wh… Why?! What did I do? Why am I an idiot?! I still do not understand!_

_Roy is so confusing!_

Determined to get all of his questions answered, Marth then continued his quest in capturing his love with a heavy heart that seemed to have weighed him down since he was going a tab bit slower speed-wise. But whether the redhead believed it or not, he meant what he said: He did not like to see Roy angry. When he was wearing that irresistible pout was an exception, though, but in this case, he was not. It was more of a depressing scowl.

A scowl that he _himself_ had created.

Prince Marth had probably lost about three pounds or so chasing Roy up and down five or six staircases, but it was definitely for a good cause. Both their throats caught fire as they roughly screamed their heads off at one another, back and forth like pansies. The redhead slipped up, eventually, Marth catching him just in the nick o' time before his lover took a horrific tumble down the frightening flight of stairs, but Roy would've preferred taking a dangerous tumble down numerous stairs over being wrapped tightly in his _impossible_ lover's arms.

"_Let go of me, Prince Marth Lowell!_"

"_No!_" Marth pouted, his arms acting as clasps as he pinned his lover's back firmly against his body, as if he were trapped in a forced hug, and in a way, yes, _he was_.

But boy was it _difficult _keeping him still.

"Lemme _go!_"

"_Never!_"

"YOU THINK_ EVERYTHING_ IS A FUCKING _JOKE!_"

And that's when Roy fell to the ground with a harsh _thud_.

"_Joke?_" the young prince repeated blandly.

Roy pranced up on his toes to match the prince in height and went on with his red-faced rant, "GODDAMNIT MARTH! I KNOW IT'S HARD FOR YOU, BUT USE YOUR _BRAIN_ FOR ONCE!! YOU WANT TO KNOW WHY I'M ANGRY? WHY I'M UPSET?! YOU DON'T _FLIRT_ WITH ANOTHER MAN IN FRONT OF MY FACE! I DON'T CARE _WHO_ THE HELL HE IS!"

A miraculous light bulb finally shone in the prince's dense head.

_That's why he's upset with me?!_

"_Oh...!_ But… But, it was just… just harmless_, innocent_ flirting! You do not have to yell—"

"NOT WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT _LEAVING_ ME FOR SOME MAN YOU'VE ONLY KNOWN FOR _THREE_ HOURS!"

"_Roy_. I was_ joking _with hi—"

"—YOU DON'T 'JOKE' ABOUT THINGS LIKE THAT, MARTH! _YOU JUST DON'T!_"

The prince bit down on both of his glossed lips… He did have a vital point there… He absolutely would _not_ like it if some gorgeous, hazel-eyed brunet came along and began flirting with _his_ Cuddle-Bear. Maybe he had took things a little too far with the blonde, _handsome_ waiter who Roy later envied, and he could understand why his lover was outraged, but what he couldn't _make_ him understand was that he did not mean anything that he said!

"_Okay, okay_… You're right about that, sweetie. _But_… you're not _hearing_ what I'm _saying!_ The things we said to each other—we did not mean them!! We were—um—just… just _having fun! You know!_"

Roy's right hand twitched. He wanted—no, _needed_ to slap him. He _still_ didn't get it? Was he playing that dumb, innocence role? Like he was totally _oblivious_ as to what was occurring around him? Was he _aware_ that one more wrong-worded sentence, one teensy, little slip-up would make Roy lose the last of his sane marbles?

And lose—possibly—their very _relationship?_

But the biggest question of them all…

…Did Marth even _care?_ The redhead certainly did not want to find out, and so he did what he always did when he could not get through to his lover, which was, nine times out of ten, _never_.

_You know I'm sensitive, Marth. _

_You're well aware of it. _

_So why do you do things that you know will hurt me?_

_Are you even __**aware**__ of the fact that you're hurting me?_

_I am getting so tired of this... _

_I'm so tired of it._

_I'm done._

Roy slowly turned his back on his prince and continued the short walk to his dorm without uttering a single word. However, he was left feeling useless, unappreciated, unloved… and very, very depressed.

"_R-Roy!_ Don't walk away from me!"

"I have nothing else to say to you. _Goodnight._"

Prince Marth then clenched his fists at his lover's stubborn refusal. He was tired of Roy doing this. Running away from his problems… always leaving him hanging high-and-dry with all his questions unanswered.

He was sick of it.

"…_See_. This is our problem _right here_."

…Roy stopped.

He had reached the floor of his dorm room when the prince uttered this loud enough to where he could properly hear…

_Problem?_ Marth was talking about _problems? _As in the things that he's been causing him for the past few months?

Oh, this _had_ to be good. Roy _definitely_ wanted to hear this.

The prince continued when he realized that he finally captured the other swordsman's attention, "We have absolutely_ zero_ communication, whatsoever! And I've noticed that whenever you're upset about something—which is beginning to be almost _every day_ now—you _never_ discuss your troubles with me! _You never give me a chance to make things right! _You… You_ always_ go to Link! You _always_ resort to him! Aren't _I_—_your lover_—supposed to be the one comforting you?! Aren't _I_ supposed to be the one taking care of your needs?! Link is taking my place, and I do not like it! I feel as though he knows you better than I do! Is it not supposed to be the other way around?!"

"_He sure as hell understands me a lot more__._ He… He does things that you would never do for me! Link doesn't hurt my feelings, he doesn't lie to me… and I'm grateful to have at least one person who understands where I'm coming from! He's more than a friend to me, and he's better than you'll ever be!"

Suddenly, jealously—_and loads of it_—caused the heated, flowing blood of the prince to rise in temperature.

"W-Well—! If Link does all that for you, then why are we _together...?!_ You and Link can just have each other!"

"And that's what you wanted, right?! You wanted to leave me so you could start your life with _Steve_ or _Bob_ or whatever the hell that waiter's name was!"

"AND MAYBE I WILL! YOU _OBVIOUSLY_ DON'T_ WANT_ ME!"

"I _DO_ WANT YOU, MARTH! I FUCKING _LOVE _YOU!"

"_YOU'RE NOT MAKING ANY SENSE, _ROY!! FIRST YOU ARE _YELLING_ AT ME AND CALLING ME HURTFUL NAMES! AND NOW YOU'RE SAYING THAT YOU '_LOVE_' ME?! YOU DON'T _LOVE_ ME, ROY! YELLING AND SCREAMING: THAT IS NOT LOVE!

I DON'T UNDERSTAND YOU HALF THE TIME; I _CAN'T_ UNDERSTAND YOU! I HAVE TO PUT UP WITH YOUR _PATHETIC _MOOD SWINGS EVERY DAY, YOU _NEVER_ CONFRONT ME ABOUT YOUR PROBLEMS, AND—"

"—WELL YOU AREN'T SO HIGH AND MIGHTY YOURSELF THERE, PRINCE MARTH!" Roy mocked, "YOU'RE THE MOST CONCEITED, SELF-CENTERED MAN ON THIS GODDAMN EARTH! YOU'RE SELFISH, AND YOU ONLY CARE ABOUT YOURSELF!"

"_AND YOU'RE JUST A BIG CRYBABY WHO BAWLS WHENEVER HE DOESN'T GET HIS WAY!_"

Roy softly gasped.

Right then, a trillion elephants trampled over his achy heart… A trillion daggers lunged themselves into it again and again. And soon enough, a trillion tears spilled onto his hot, crimson cheeks… They flowed and flowed unremittingly… it was if he were only composed of water.

That did it. Marth had _totally_ crossed the line. He was already_ waaaaay_ on the other side. But—although he really, really, REALLY hated to admit it—Marth was right, though. He _was_ a big crybaby. He was proving that right then. But as a lover, he had _no right_ to say such discouraging things!! Why, Prince Marth was supposed to lift him up! _Support him!_ That was _his_ job! Neither Link's nor anyone else's!

Link was the glue to their relationship, after all. Roy and Marth had broken apart—_over the silliest of things, might I add_—countless times before, and if it wasn't for his pep talks and expert peacemaking skills, the two of them would've never survived this long. But Roy hoped that he had some _super_ glue. Because he had had _enough_ of this prince. Enough of his childish games and his childish manner…

The redhead pursed his thin lips with great pressure, not bothering to wipe away the droplets drawing squiggly lines on his cheeks. He had so much to say to the man below, but he couldn't voice it all at once. Not even hundreds—no—_tens_ of _thousands _of tongues could voice all the feelings of hurt and anguish he was experiencing at that moment and put them into words. And even if he did have that many tongues, where was his voice? Whenever he tried to speak, it sounded as if someone where squeezing one of those beloved squeaky toys that often amuses young children. He was all shaken up…

Roy honestly did not know what else to do…

"_I… I d-don't…_" the redhead gently croaked. Marth folded his arms, and of course from where he was standing, he couldn't see the teardrops dangling from his lover's chin. Roy muttered a final, inaudible "Goodnight", and entered his dorm room.

He slammed his door awfully loud…

"_SEE?!_ THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT! YOU ALWAYS RUN AWAY FROM ME—"

—_Plop_.

The prince blinked.

Something landed on his cheek.

He wiped his flush skin with a single finger, discovering a small, tear droplet that could have only belonged to one person…

_Roy's Dorm…_

Inside, Roy dangerously _exploded_ just as Marth had done. He had nearly chucked _all_ the pictures enclosed in a fancy frame with the prince's conceited—yet lovely—smile in them across the room like disks, sending each one crashing firstly into the wall, and then down onto the floor… He'd have to get around to picking up the shattered glass later, but that was not his first priority at the time. He then moved on to ferociously beheading with his bare hands _any_ teddy bear the prince had given him throughout their relationship—_which was roughly all of them_—wailing as if he were being strangled by a heavyweight champion.

He spared Betelgeuse, though, who was the last of his kind now that his other buddies had been brutally murdered by the merciless hands of the redhead. Link had given him that one on Valentines Day, and personally, it had become one of his favorites whenever he needed a good cuddle. And after his five-minute rampage about his dorm, he came snuggling up to the giant bear, humble, hurting, and badly broken.

"H-HOW COULD HE CALL ME TH-THAT?! M'NOT A CRYBABY!! _N-NOT A CRYBABY!!_"

The redhead began sloppily explaining to Betelgeuse what had just occurred as if the stuffed animal were actually a living, breathing—and compassionate—person. But as we all know, it wasn't; Roy didn't care… As long as he got the situation off his chest, the better and less suffocated he would feel. Why didn't he go to Link, you ask? Well, what Marth said about Roy's habit of always resorting to Link was so entirely true that it made him feel guilty to some degree. He made Marth feel as though he did not trust him enough with his feelings, and trust is something that must be present in all relationships, yes? And plus it was way past midnight, and the blonde was probably asleep. Roy didn't want to bother him, because not only would it be rude to wake him about some silly fight, but it would also be a selfish act on his part.

The colossal teddy bear would later become Roy's soft bed for that lonesome night, his large, heart-printed tummy made an excellent pillow, but he'd definitely prefer the gentle chest of his lover's any day…

_To Be Continued…_

xXx

"Higher, Pit! _Push me higher!_" squeaked Toon Link, who kicked his short legs in an impatient manner.

The angel groaned, fulfilling his wish, of course, "I'm trying as hard as I can here, Toon Link, but the swing is partially frozen. You'd go higher if it were much, much warmer!"

How it went from seventy-two degrees to thirty-eight in less than twenty-four hours, Pit did not know. But on that frigid Saturday, the children did not seem to give the slightest care in the world as their sleepy eyes looked to the dreamy, winter wonderland the moment they woke up. Most of the Smashers ultimately decided to stay inside, the weather a major factor in their decision-making. It was far too cold for their tastes, and the angel Pit agreed greatly. But Nana, Popo, Toon Link and Ness could beg to differ. The day before—or rather last night—Pit forced all of them inside for his precious Link's benefit. And according to those four, they were not given enough time to enjoy hobbling about in the unique, crystal flakes of nature.

"_Pleeeeease_, Pit?! Just ten minutes!" they humbly begged him. Some even made bribes with him.

And of course, those four round, rose-tinted, puppy-dog faces plunged the angel into submission. _Lucas?_ Well, it didn't really matter to him whether they played in the fresh fallen snow or not. As long as he was by his admirer's side, Pit, he was for anything.

After breakfast—the kids didn't eat as well as they normally did, and their stomachs were already filled to the brim with anxious feelings and excitement at the thought of tussling about in the snow—the angel dressed the children warmly one-by-one before dressing himself in a snuggly-warm jacket.

"_Pit!_ I'm not _going _anywhere!" the little swordsman complained, demanding his guardian's attention. Pit rolled his droopy eyes as he continued to push the little blonde higher into the sky, sighing heavily. It was thirty-eight degrees outside; he didn't have the strength to do…_ anything_. But thoughts of the night before trickled into his brain, and soon an infectious smile seized his cold lips, giving him a little fuel to carry on.

Link's blissful, beautiful smile from last night's performance stayed with him all through the night… And so did his soft yet powerful, ministering voice, which also helped him ease effortlessly into the realm of sleep. Why he would keep such an amazing sound bottled up inside of him was a question that plagued the brunet since the moment he heard his beloved sing, but he figured Link had his reasons.

"_I'm really, really thankful to have a friend like you…"_

And what about that toasty, mushy embrace they shared just shortly after the end of Karaoke Friday? Pit's heart was close to erupting and overflowing with molten lava—_or blood_—as he cautiously held his crush's body in his arms as if he were a tiny twig… He regretted repetitively not having enough courage to confess his deepening feelings for him; he personally thought that that rare moment in time would've made a great "confessing" spot. The lovely, silent snow falling all around them, the two of them embracing each other with soulfulness, the happiness shimmering in their eyes… He'd gone so far as to suggest _kissing_ the pointy-eared angel right then and there, but perhaps that was not the time and place to do any of that. He was very heedful that Link had just gotten out of a relationship, and that he was still shaken up a bit about the wretched situation between his former lover and best friend, but poor Pit could not contain his feelings for too long. He finally had Link within his grasp! But—for the sake of the one he loved—he decided to wait until Link was on stable ground, emotionally as well as mentally, before deciding to get serious with him. So in the time between, he could get to know Link a little more.

He could learn what makes him tick, what he does and does not like, what he admires…

Simple things like that.

But oh how _romantic_ it would've been to have kissed him that night… A priceless kiss from the most precious blonde in all the land…

The "zombified" Pit visibly drooled at the mere thought of touching lips with the being he treasured for so long, his milky eyes leaking with deadly desire...

_When I begin to think about him… _

_My heart... it feels as if it's swelling… _

_...It is a great and yet frightening feeling to experience. _

"Hey, _Pit!_" Popo called, tapping the angel's shin.

"_Hmm?_" he responded with a goofy smile on his lips, not acknowledging the small boy whatsoever.

"_Look!_ Look at our igloo that me and Nana are making!"

"_That's nice_, Lucas…" the brunet gently replied without taking the slightest glance at the wondrous, little house. Instead, he continued to push Toon Link along on the swing, which disappointed, little Popo…

"But… I'm _Popo._ _And you didn't even look at it_…" the boy commented in a disheartening tone, intentionally to himself, but the small blonde in the red swing overheard him.

"Pit's been out of it since this morning," Toon Link thoughtfully highlighted, "I think I have an idea why."

_Link's Dorm…_

"_Nnn_…"

The blonde archer blinked once.

Then twice.

It was currently 10:12 A.M.; usually he was up and about around this time doing who knows what. Probably eating breakfast with Ike, but he'd rather not think about the tall mercenary.

He had never felt so well-rested in his life. Well, not in his life, but, perhaps in a while considering Ike's infidelity and Marth's cruel betrayal, which typically kept him up in the wee hours of the night as he thought of _all _the possible wrong-doings he could've done to have this sudden damnation reaped upon him.

The night before, however, was a_ different _story. He was at perfect peace… at perfect ease. And it was all of Pit's doing. His gentle voice, his sweet words of encouragement...

Link was genuinely thankful for him.

His tranquil state of mind last evening caused a rather pleasant dream to manifest in the depths of his subconscious, too. He dreamed of himself lying in an endless bed of sunflowers, surrounded by chipper, upbeat blue jays chirping a harmonic tune. White, gentle sunlight beamed down upon him and the sound, simple village of Ordon. And in the midst of the blinding light, he could hear an angelic, pure voice complimented by lovely music calling out to him, but in a language that he could not and _did not_ understand. The voice steadily grew louder, though, and it sharpened in clarity…

Link wished he could've lingered a bit longer in his dream to interpret what the odd, mystical words meant, but we all have to wake up from a dream at some point in time.

The blonde sat up, stretching his muscles as his arms reached for the ceiling, a low yawn passing through his lips. He then looked to his right; Moby stared adoringly back at him… or so it seemed. He crawled out of bed, yawning a second time as he pulled open his curtains. He wasn't greeted with the rays of the morning sun, but instead with a foggy, grey window thinly blanketed with crystals upon crystals of snowflakes.

"_Oh wow_…" Link breathed in the middle of his third yawn. Carefully, he diligently wiped away all he could off his window, peering out. And almost instantly he found the four, little Smashers and the ever-present Pit, pushing the fifth tyke—_his look-alike_—on one of the many red swings.

Link grinned so wide he was afraid his cheeks would fall off.

There he was… The sole reason for the warm, glowing smile on the blonde angel's full lips…

Pit.

_He is so kind… Even though it's freezing outside, he still takes the kids out…_

Link thought about preparing all of them some piping, hot chocolate as a kind gesture for when they returned. Surely they'd enjoy it, but the brunet was a bit sensitive about him fixing the children anything that caused him to go out of his way. He didn't want Link to go through all the trouble just for them, so the Hyrulean had to check and make sure that it was alright with the winged male first.

_Outside…_

"_Toon Link_… My _arms_ are getting _tired_," complained a drained angel.

"_Aww_ C'mon! _No they're not..._"

"_Pit?_ When is Link gonna come out and play with us?" questioned a curious Nana, who'd come to love the blonde's company.

"_Pit has a crush on Liiiink~_" the mini swordsman sang.

Pit jumped significantly, his face a flaming inferno-colored blush, "_T-Toon Link!_"

"_Do _you like Link, Pit?!" Nana asked with a wide and partly anxious smile, deserting her igloo for just a moment.

Lucas simply looked up to him, wondering the same question.

"_I_ think he does..." Ness answered for the angel, "He's always talkin' 'bout 'im, and lookin' at 'im, and _smilin'_ at 'im—"

"—THAT IS QUITE_ ENOUGH_, NESS!" the angel barked, blood rushing at a rapid speed to his cheeks.

"_See!_ He knows it's true!" said Little Link.

"_I—! I-I—!_"

Pit began to try and explain the relationship of him and the blonde to the children, but was having a rough time trying to find the words. And so he figured, why must he explain himself to a couple seven-year-olds? His private feelings for Link were strictly_ his_ business!

"This is the very last time that I want to hear something like this come out of either of your mouths!" he told his hatchlings in a scolding tone—he was being very serious, "It is not your place to talk about such personal matters out in the open, especially about ones that do not concern you!! And you, Toon Link! Fine, you want to go higher?! I'm going to push you so high that you'll fly out of the swing!"

Toon Link cackled, "_I'm ready for ya!_"

Ice Climber Nana giggled at her guardian's predictable reaction—knowing that her small, blonde friend's accusation was indeed true—patting down the blocks of snow for their igloo, when she immediately spotted a lone figure approaching the six of them. It took her a couple seconds or so to decipher who it was—the drizzling snow was to blame, primarily—but her round, onyx eyes nearly popped out of her head when she spotted her most favorite swordsman pacing gracefully through the deepening snow.

She announced with very much enthusiasm, "_Link is here! Hiiii Liiiink! Good Morniiiing!!_"

Pit snapped up.

_...Link?!_

You bet that Pit's ears perked, and his eyes could roughly stay in his head. He looked to Nana, then to her finger signifying the said person, and finally, he laid his sparkly eyes onto his precious, precious crush...

His sunshine on that congested, cloudy day, his cuddly, blonde-haired pillow, his "damsel" in distress…

Pit gulped down his pulsing organ…

His heart skipped multiple, vital beats as he watched—with great intensity—Link's petite hips elegantly sashay with every small, step he took.

Oh yes, even though the blurry snow partially blinded him, the angel could recognize his beloved from _anywhere_, with or without _anyone's_ mention. Link waved to Nana, smiling that famous, star-powered smile. And then, those spell-casting, baby-blue hues refocused on the young man with the blessed pair of snowy wings… The blonde cheesed beautifully at his angelic pal with a pair of lips that matched.

Pit's knees were about to give way if he kept this up.

The archer slowly wriggled his fingers in his admirer's direction, his form of a somewhat bashful wave, which dripped with saccharine-y cuteness.

Pit _loved_ it.

…_Goddess._

_I have... for the billionth time... noticed his stupefying, immobilizing beauty._

_I don't think I am capable of falling deeper in love with him; I'm practically pouring over with happiness and… and filled with… with... _

…_unexplainably warm fuzzies._

_The way he moves... the way he sleeps... his gorgeous, electrifying eyes..._

_He's just so… amazi—_

**THWACK**.

Once again, wrapped up and totally immersed in Link's spell, Pit had gotten distracted. With an impact force of about thirty-five pounds or so, the phased angel was forcefully struck with tiny Toon Link and the heavy, frozen red swing, and was sent flying back at least five feet from where he originally stood.

His world was then turned to a frightening, pitch black; he was knocked unconscious. However, if he were conscious, he'd probably die of embarrassment. Either way, he would still be unconscious… So one could say that it was a lose-lose situation.

Link gasped, witnessing the entire thing. Toon Link hurled himself off the swing and stumbled over to the fallen angel along with the other, traumatized children.

"_Pit!_" the young boy shrilled, patting Pit's rosy cheeks, "Pit, _wake up!_"

"_S-Someone get some water!_" Popo suggested.

"That won't help, Popo! It'd probably freeze before we get it to him!" Nana corrected.

"_Is he gonna be okay?_" a quivering Lucas asked _anyone_, really, sitting next to Pit's sprawled, lifeless body, "He... he isn't moving."

"_NO!_ HE'S _NOT_ GONNA BE OKAY, LUCAS! 'CAUSE TOON LINK _KILLED_ HIM BEING SELFISH! HE KILLED PIT!" Ness fiercely accused with a shaking finger.

"_NO I DIDN'T!_" Toon Link irately fired back, leaving the angel's side.

"_DID TOO!_ HE'S _DEAD_ AND IT'S _YOUR_ FAULT!"

"PIT'S AN _ANGEL!_ HE _CAN'T_ DIE, YOU _DOLT!_"

Suddenly, Toon Link stopped himself, taking some time to ponder the statement he had just spat at the small boy, but he wasn't given much time, since Link soon joined the fray.

"You two! _Quit it!_ Stop fighting!" Link ordered firmly, breaking the two up.

"_Link…_ Pit can't die because he's an angel… right?" Toon Link inquired in a rather squeaky, tremulous voice, tugging on his look-alike's checkered scarf.

"_Honestly_, Toon Link… _I don't know_. But we don't have to worry about him dying; he_ did _get hit pretty hard with that swing, though. But I _do_ know that arguing isn't going to help him get any better."

He scurried to the angel's side, and the kids—who saw Link was their only hope for Pit's survival—gave him more than enough room.

Link gently picked the light angel off the frigid snow and cradled him in his arms.

"_Pit…?_ Pit, can you hear me?" he whispered angelically.

But Pit remained stationary.

"_Pit_…" Link repeated, but this time with much more stern in his voice, and with an earnest tone, pushing the angel's bangs out of his face…

"..._Pit?_"

...Again, there was no response.

_Damnit... Why is he always getting hurt? Is he jinxed or something—?_

Link... _blinked._

The angel lay there… motionless… his dark, thick eyelashes fanned, his lips slightly parted in sort of a… _tasteful_ fashion, and his pale, flawless skin was strangely very, very alluring.

Tempting…

Admirable.

Pit was… was…

Beautiful.

_Really beautiful…_

_........._

W-Well, _y-y'know_…

…In anangelic,_ unconscious_ sense.

Link didn't… didn't _like_ him… or anything like that. He was only trying to help him out.

Yeah! _That's all!_ He _was just trying to help!_

"M-Maybe he needs that mouth-to-mouth thing… Sometimes that works, right?" Toon Link helpfully suggested, which made Link's skin crawl for a reason that he would not be able to explain until the near future. But he disguised his nervousness with a crooked smile for the children's sake.

"Th-That won't be necessary, but that's a good thought," he began, checking his comrade's pulse. The blonde carefully grasped his friend's cold hand, sought out the slightly-protruding vein on his wrist and pressed gently. He picked up a few beats here and there…

_He has a slight, healthy pulse… _

"_Ch-Check his heart!_" Ness blurted, "See if it's beating!"

"_Uh_..."

Link _almost_ protested against the action, but when he scanned the faces of all five, fidgeting children's faces, he unanimously reconsidered...

...although it would make him feel quite... _uncomfortable_.

"I-I_ guess_ that could work, Ness..."

The blondie—with a face the color of Ness's snow hat—gingerly unzipped the angel's coat just enough to where he could access only—and_ only_—his torso region. Slightly, as if he didn't want to disturb the young man's rest, he laid his ear against the angel's warm chest.

His eyelids began to droop...

_Thump... Th-Thump..._

Link smirked like a little infant.

_He's alright..._

He found it very comforting, like the inviting, toasty bosom of a mother. But that was no surprise. How many times has he fallen asleep on the angel? How many times did his enchanting voice drift him off to an easeful sleep?

"_Well_," Link lifted his head, smiling, "his heart's still beating, and that's what's _most_ important..."

"So… he _is _going to be okay?" Lucas piped again, just to be sure.

"Yes, Lucas. Yes to _everyone_. Pit'll be fine; he's kind of… _taking a nap!_ While we wait for him to wake up, would you all like some hot chocolate? I've just finished making some. It's waiting for all of you in my dorm... _I have_ _marshmallows!_"

All five jaws dropped.

Now what child wouldn't say "yes" to that?

xXx

Healthy, innocent laughter and squeaks of pure joy is what woke Pit out of his slumber. He batted his long lashes a few times, his senses returning to him all at once with the force of a tsunami. Although it didn't take minutes for him to realize that he was indeed in Link's dorm…

…in his _bed_.

Snuggly warm and tightly tucked away in his silky, green sheets.

_Ah…_

_Link's bed?_

Pit snapped up, rubbing the sleep out of his amethysts.

_Did I go to sleep?! What time is it?! Are the children here?! _

The last question was already answered for him, because there was no other explanation for the familiar, childish laughter coming from the other side of the door.

_They're here, and they're safe… Link must've taken them in..._

_Well... That's all I need to know._

Moments later, while he stared plainly at the ceiling, a second question arose steadily in his mind... a question that he had not _one_ clue as to _where_ it originated from in the many regions of his mind. Perhaps it crawled in the back of his brain because he was lying in Link's resting place.

He curiously fingered around with the threads and asked himself…

Did Link occasionally go to bed nude?

A mental image formulated in his mind; it was just as crystal clear as the mineral itself.

A river-sized amount of blood with the power of a launching rocket blasted through his nostrils; his left eye twitched uncontrollably. And before he knew it, the reddening angel threw up his hands, swooning like a love-drunk, middle-aged girl while wearing the same, goofy smile and bubbly eyes as he rolled about in the sheets...

He was experiencing something equivalent to... a _fan girl_ moment.

_~! _

_Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee~!_

But he soon snapped out of his daydream.

Pit stopped, shook himself out of his trance, and clenched his fists.

_No! Have to stay focused! _

_Focused, focused!!_

He looked to his right; his jacket was securely placed in his closet and his shoes directly adjacent to the closed door.

_My shoes… and my jacket… _

_I… I hope I wasn't too much trouble for him._

An invisible ribbon of pleasant smells curled right under his pointy nose…

…The soothing aroma of pure chocolate.

_What is that? Could Link be making chocolate chip cookies? _

_A chocolate cake?_

_Brownies? _

He heard a girlish, happy-like shriek—one that had to have come from Nana. Well, _whatever_ he was making—or made—it was certainly a big hit with the children.

Pit plopped back onto the green pillow and shut his eyes. Almost instantaneously, he discovered another heavenly scent that tingled his senses…

The smell of _Link_.

Pit smothered his nose with the pillow and took a long, sampling drag…

_Sweet_, wild spring flowers, _oak trees_, and the fresh dew on a well-watered lawn...

…that's what he smelled of, and Pit couldn't get enough of the appeasing scent.

_Link smells so nice... I wonder if it's his natural scent. _

_I don't think he uses any cologne... _

_Mmm..._

_I'm going to get a headache... so many nice fragrances._

"_Pit?_"

The angel—once again—sat straight up, and his eyes bulked as if he had just been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Link stood under the doorway, a fancy yet dirtied, green apron tied snugly to his precious frame.

"Y-Yeah?"

"_You're awake...!_"

The blonde archer leapt onto the bed and gobbled up the dazed male in his arms. Pit blushed lightly, once again enjoying the feel of the lean body in his arms, and the two, silky legs that brushed against his—Link's little, green shorts were to thank—slightly taking advantage of his crush...

"_Thank the goddesses_..."

_Link's skin is so soft and warm..._

He pulled away, a satisfied and somewhat relieved grin etched on his lips. When Pit figured that he had the breath to speak again, he finally asked, "How long was I... _asleep?_"

"Just a few minutes, not really long. But the children were so scared. You gave them quite a fright!"

"_I'm sure I did_."

Link sweetly grasped Pit's gentle hand for the second time, and the both of them roughly rivaled tomatoes.

"Um... But they're okay now! They're at the table; I-I made them some hot chocolate. That's why I came outside... I was going to make sure that it was okay with you first, but the incident happened... so I never got a chance to ask you."

"Oh! _That's fine!!_ I'm sure they really appreciate it... _all of them!_"

"_Alright_... and um... _Are you okay?_ Do you feel any pain? I have some ice prepared for you in case you are aching anywhere..."

"_Ah_, I feel incredible, actually. I think my jacket absorbed most of the blow, _eh heh_... But I'm fine! No pain! Thanks for your concern, though."

Link smirked kindly, "_Oh_—I made some hot chocolate for you, too! If you'd like any..."

Pit, internally grateful for having met such a caring, blonde-haired man, squeezed his hand a bit while his lips snapped into an easing smile...

"I'd love some. Thank you, Link."

"You're very welcome."

They were silent... Link titled his head a little as he looked over his bed.

"...Did you have a bad dream?"

"..._Huh?_"

And the angel realized what Link meant by that, for his sheets were draping hopelessly off his bed.

The... "R-rated" thought rushed back into his head; Link was before him, which made the picture seem ever the more realistic.

His left eye twitched...

_...I fear that one day he will be the death of me._

xXx

When Pit stepped through Link's bedroom door, cries filled four Smasher's lungs as they circled him... and just about strangled him into unconsciousness again, but this time, with their tentacle-like arms.

"Pit, _you're alive!_" Nana shouted, clamping onto his right leg, Ness leeching onto the other.

"_You're not dead!_"

"It's a_ miracle!_" said a rosy Popo who leapt for joy.

Lucas hugged the angel affectionately, whispering, "..._you're alright._"

Pit's lips created an effortless smile; he rubbed the backs of all the four children and slowly peeled them off his lithe body one by one.

"You guys thought I was _dead?_"

Ness nodded truthfully, "Uh-huh! But Link opened your jacket and put his head on your chest just like I told him! He said he heard your heart beating! So you couldn't have been dead!"

Link's cheeks took on a deep, sanguine-type tint, whereas Pit's head was on the brink of detonating.

"_Ahhh_—Th-That's just great, Ness! _Yes!_ Very great!" he congratulated.

_He's more observant than I originally mistook him for... _

He pat the proud boy on his head, trying his best not to display the sugary happiness that he kept discreet from the others upon hearing that news. But... there was someone missing. Some loud, obnoxious voice was absent amongst the ecstatic crowd.

"_Hey_, where's Toon Link?"

Link— who was busy trying to tame the temperature of his burning face—jumped to attention.

"_Uhh_... he's sitting at the table. He hasn't said a word since you've been unresponsive. I am guessing he feels really bad about putting you in danger..."

"..._I see_."

And without another word, the angel glided to the elliptical table and found the depressed, little swordsman stirring his jumbo marshmallow around in his green cup with a metal spoon. Pit kneeled before him, freely displaying a happy, carefree smile.

"_You alright?_"

Toon Link shook his head in a negative fashion.

That meant "no".

"_Why?_ What's bothering you?"

Little Link put his head on the table...

"Y-You got hurt because of me! If I wasn't so selfish an'... an'... and then you fell and... an'_ I almost killed you!!_ It's all my fault..."

He banged his small fists on the table as he clenched his teeth, his wide eyes swelling with tears.

But a gentle, compassionate hand prevented them from falling.

"_It's okay_, Toon Link."

The young boy sniveled, "_Really?_ Y-You're not mad at me?"

"Of course not! _We all make mistakes!_ _I_ made a mistake by keeping my eyes off you; I should've paid more attention, and this whole situation would've been avoided, I think. But anyway, _don't worry about it! _I'm healthy! And _ultimately_, Toon Link, _I forgive you_. _All is well_..."

The petite swordsman's cat-like eyes inflated with disbelief as a grand, innocent smile formed on his lips. He happily swiped away his dripping tears with his crumpled fists... And surprisingly, Toon Link tackled Pit to the shiny floor, blabbering, "THANK YOU, PIT! _THANK YOU!"_

Link was touched by the angel's forgiveness toward the little boy... Another quality that he absolutely loved, loved, _loved _about the brunet.

_Y-Y'know_.

In a _friendly_ sense.

Not because he was in _love_ with him or anything like that.

_That_ was _definitely_ out of the question.

The blonde archer immediately prepared a nice mug of steaming, hot cocoa for the angel, and with goggling, glittering eyes, he received it.

"_...Thanks_, Link."

"No problem. _But be careful!_ _It's hot!_"

And soon enough, Toon Link was back to his original self.

"_HEY!_ How come Pit gets two, giant marshmallows?! I want 'nother one, too!" he piped, but the complaint and demand was sadly ignored.

The two love-stricken archers—although a certain blonde was not aware that he was in love with the brunet at the time—had gotten preoccupied as their gazes mingled with the others in a lovely waltz.

And Link giggled...

_...What's... happening to me?_

After all the seven Smashers finished their refreshing and rejuvenating beverage, Link offered to pull out a couple of board games that he, Pit and the tykes could all play together since the weather had gradually became unbearable. Seeing their sad, broken-spirited faces that staring blankly out the frosty window broke both their hearts. Pit thought that it was a great idea—that is, until Nana suggested that they should play "House" first. He succumbed to her desire in the end, ending up with the role of the mother.

"Since you fuss at us all the time, Pit," Toon Link pointed out.

Link—and yes, you guessed right—was the father. And the five children were supposedly theirs.

They were called "Papa" and "Mommy", and everything in between.

Pit was the one who was left at "home", cooking, tending and caring for the children, whereas Link "went to work", giving all five of them a big, bear hug just before he left. To make the game seem more realistic than it actually needed to be, Nana pointed out that the blonde should give his "wife" a "goodbye kiss" whenever he prepared to leave.

The rest of her friends seconded that idea, sniggering at the angel's disapproving reaction.

And so the next time when Link prepared to go off to work, he blew a small kiss in the cooking angel's direction, smiled, and walked out the door.

Pit fell as a result, as if someone took a hammer and blew his knees out.

When _House_ was beginning to get old, the Smasher's finally got around to playing the board games that the blonde previously pulled out, and had a blast. Toon Link, who claimed that he was cursed after having lost every game that involved money, wasn't having the greatest of times. However, you couldn't say the same for the angel. He won nearly every game, so of course he was going to get accused of cheating. But he swore on his_ life_ that he had never played any board game except for the ones they were currently playing. Perhaps he had beginner's luck.

Well, _whatever it was_, it sure was working for him.

Bit it broke his heart in two as he sat there and watched the young, blonde swordsman pout all over the place as he was forced to partake in all of his other comrades having fun, laughing, and giggling... and winning... on the sidelines.

That was when Pit decided to intervene. When the game ended, and everyone took part in putting the loose pieces and play money back in their rightful places, the brunet sweetly asked the boy which game he would wish to play most as opposed to asking the throng of children.

"_Hey!_ Let's let Toon Link pick a game!"

Little Link's entire, round face lit up like a thousand candles.

"_I can choose?!_"

"_Sure you can!_"

With the cutest chortle any child could muster, Toon Link hopped off his tush and leaped to the table, scanning over the hundreds of colorful, entertaining boxes of games that they could play. He did not pick a game according to its color, though. He chose one that he personally knew for sure that he'd have the edge over _everyone_ in.

"_This one!_ I want to play this game!"

Toon Link hopped up and down, shoving the box into Pit's stomach. The angel's nose crinkled as he read the name that was printed in bold, red letters...

"'Twister'? _That's_ what you wanna play?"

(**A/N:** And um... Twister-owner-people? Just in case you're reading this—which, you're probably not, but anyway—I _totally _disclaim the ownership of this game. _Y'know_, for copyright reasons, I guess. _I don't know_.)

"Uh-huh! _I have good flexibility!_"

Pit took the small, white box, and thoroughly read its directions...

"Sounds... _painful_."

"It's actually quite _fun_," Link inputted, reading the box along with him, "You and a couple of friends compete to see who can remain standing without toppling over the other the longest on a slippery mat. A different person, however, is in charge of spinning the spinner, which tells you which body part you place on the selected color—like your right hand, right leg, left leg... you get the idea. That's what makes it so hard to keep yourself up, because you and your partner end up in very difficult positions. So if you're very flexible and good at maintaining a stable balance, you have a higher chance of winning, basically."

He later went on to say quietly, "_Yes_... Ike and I used to play this game. _It was... one of his favorites..._"

The brunet rolled his eyes—to himself, of course.

_I can only wonder why..._

"_Okay_. As long as it's not _too_ dangerous, I _guess_ we can play it," stated the angel. Toon Link had gotten Pit's approval, receiving the box, expressing tremendous jubilance.

"_Yes!_ I'm gonna beat you guys for sure!"

Ness stood up, sticking out his chest, "I'm going to win!"

"_You're on!_"

Immediately after the statement, all of the pint-sized Smashers were eager and dead set on proving their many strengths to their rivals. Link dazed off into the distance, reminiscing in the fond memories of he and Ike tussling and laughing to their heart's content on the colorful mat... Pit couldn't help but notice. But he masked his internal pain with an approving smile as well, "Alright, Pit! _Looks like we're the referees!_"

And that they were.

Link was the one who spent the spinner, and Pit called out the directions. As the minutes went by, a mess of tangled, knotted legs scattered across the multi-colored mat. Ness was tied up with Toon Link—which was _not_ a favorable match-up—Nana and Popo counting on the other for support—_like always_—as either of them could take a fall at any given time. Too bad a twisted Lucas weighed them down. But sooner or later, the quivering pile of tiny Smashers was going to come crumbling down to the ground; Pit would be more than amused to see such a humorous sight.

"Alright, guys. Here comes a new move!"

The blonde flicked his finger, causing the obsidian-colored piece of plastic to twirl at a rapid pace. It eventually landed on a small, yellow circle under the quadrant of the right hand.

"_Right hand, Yellow!_" Pit directed.

Toon Link reached back firmly pressed his small hand on the yellow dot with no problem, ending up in the position of a bridge. Ness couldn't say the same since his friends' hands occupied this specific dot before all of them were taken, leaving him no spaces to place his right hand.

An _instant_ disqualification.

"Aww... _Drat_," Ness spat as he lowered his head, leaving the mat.

"_Ha!_ One down, three to go!" Toon Link shouted.

"It's okay, Ness!" Pit chimed with a convincing smile. Link solemnly agreed, and that was enough to erase the gloomy expression diffused all across the innocent face. After a couple more rounds of the game—and getting earfuls of boastful remarks from Toon Link each time one of the kids stumbled and ended up with their faces planted onto the floor—the children grew tired of the game... or rather they grew tired of hearing the little blonde's bragging about his flexibility.

"_HA!!_ I told you I'd win, Ness! Told ya, told ya! One-hundred percent flexible!"

"And you got your point across clearly, Toon Link. Let's give him a break—" Link began, but his clone interrupted.

"—_HEY!_ If I'm flexible, then that must mean _you're_ flexible, too! You are me and I am you! _W__e're practically the same!_"

The Hyrulean grinned, showcasing a full set of teeth as he began to pack up the game, "_Yeah_... I'm somewhat flexible. I guess that is sort of true, huh?"

"_W-WAIT! Don't put it away! I challenge you to a match to see who's the flexibliest!_"

Link stopped, blinked at the young boy and his finger that jabbed him, and laughed, "_Toon Link_. For one, I'm not sure that 'flexibliest' is a word. Also, we may be the same, but I'm _thrice_ your size. I'd _squish_ you if I fell on you!"

"Then face _Pit!_" Nana squealed.

The angel blinked at the mention of his name.

"_Huh?_"

"_Yeah!_ Play with Link, Pit!" Popo encouraged.

The other mini Smashers agreed with her, adding their own, personal thoughts, and the tip of Link's nose couldn't have gotten anymore pinkish. His blush dispersed all over his face within a matter of seconds, and upon seeing this, the angel caught the contagious action, his facial region taking on various shades of cherry blossoms.

Being leg-tied with Link?

_It was a dream come true._

Although, he did not know if his crush felt the very same way. The brunet took a handful of spaces forth in the blonde's direction, his shuffling feet lightly scuffing the hardwood floor. Usually Link would go ballistic—traces of Ike's scuff marks from his steel-plated boots nearly _screamed _for attention—but since it was Pit, he was strangely alright with it.

"...D-Do you mind... um... _playing_ with me?" he asked in a shrilly tone, nibbling _adorably_ on his finger.

Well, Link thought so.

"_N-No_... I don't mind," Link peeped just above a murmur.

"I'll spin the spinner-thingy!" Ness volunteered, Toon Link adding that he'd be the one who called out the directions.

And so, the match between the angel Pit and the flexible Hyrulean Link began!

"_Right Foot, Green!_"

"_Left Hand, Red!_"

"_Left Foot, Blue~!_"

"_Right Hand, Yellow!!_"

"_Left Hand, Yellow!_"

"_Right Foot, Blue!!_"

"_Left Foot, Red!_"

"_Left Hand, Green!!_"

Pit gulped, trying his best not to look Link in the eyes as his left hand crawled onto a vacant green spot.

And _this_ was the very reason why Pit was a little hesitant when asked if he'd play the game with his beloved.

Something told him—and he did not know what that something was, but nonetheless, it _told_ him—that he and Link would end up in some crazy position that would cause him to sweat all the liquid out of his body.

Because the very second his left hand hit the bottle-green dot, he now straddled Link—who was also blushing crimson as well due to the provocative position—staring up at the angel with large, lucid eyes.

Pit swallowed, the involuntary twitching in his left eye returning.

"_Eh heh heh_—"

It was like someone snatched this scene straight out of one of Pit's fantasies.

It reminded the blonde, however, of a position that he and the mercenary were in, once upon a time.

But _this_ person...

He did not have spiky, indigo hair... His arms weren't all that muscular... nor did his skin have a light, buttery tan...

And of course he wouldn't, for this person was not Ike...

...and perhaps that was the _best_ part about it.

"_S-Sorry!_" Pit strained, struggling greatly to maintain his balance. His nerves bounced freely off the inner walls of his noggin like ping-pong balls.

"_I-It's alright_," a quivering Link managed to sputter, avoiding all eye contact with the angel, his prominent cheeks flaring with a reddish glow.

_He looked away!_

_D-Did I do something?! Am I making him uncomfortable?! _

_Well... we are one inch apart. I... I can literally feel his body heat wafting off him, enveloping me... cloaking me..._

_GAH! I am making him uncomfortable! And my socks aren't making it any better! I'm beginning to slip!_

"Alright! Next is—"

"—_I wanna spin it now..._" Toon Link whined, trying to grab the spinner from the small claws of Ness. The psychic boy snatched it away.

"_No!_ That's my job!"

"You've been spinning it _forever!_ Let someone else have a turn!"

Pit's perspiring palms were accumulating beads of sweat by the second. He eagerly awaited Ness's command, but the two boys fighting was most certainly not assisting him in stepping out of this uncomfortable position.

"N-Ness? Please call out t-the next—"

"No! _It's my job!_"

"Who cares about your _stupid_ job?! I want to spin it!"

"You two!! Stop fight—_YAH._"

Pit's slightly lubricated hands are what caused him to slip a bit. The glowing Link noticed the decrease in the amount of space between him and the angel. They now shared an estimated quarter of an inch between themselves.

"S-Sorry—_Again!_"

_I can already tell that this is not going to end well!_

"I-It's fine..." Link huffed, finding anywhere else to look instead of the brunet's irises that would—_for sure_—see into his crystal heart.

_I... I'm so confused._

_What is going on with me?_

"There's a thing called _sharing!_ Stop being so _selfish!_"

"I'll stop being selfish when you'll stop being so _bossy!_"

"Toon Link! _Ness!!_"

_I'm slipping!_

"YOU'RE THE BOSSY ONE!!"

"_YEAH?!_"

"_YEAH!_"

The other children simply sat back, watching the petty argument escalade.

Pit had had enough of this. He snapped his head back to meet the hotheaded tykes, yelling, "ALRIGHT! THAT IS E—"

—_**SLIP**_—

"—_nough...?_"

That's when the most adorable, excitable mewl slipped past the fruitful lips of the blonde when the brunet lost his balance and heavily descended on the top of his cherished.

All became terribly silent; Ness, Toon Link and the remaining children gazed upon the two men with innocent eyes.

Pit—blood rushing to his head—was petrified.

"_Ah—?_" Link began.

"I'M SORRY FOR VIOLATING YOU!!"

Link... _giggled_, cherry-red.

"It's okay..."

A curious, shaken Pit peeled his torso off of the blonde's a bit to apologize once more, but was more than surprised to see a smile on his perfect, luscious lips.

"..._Huh?_ You're not... mad?"

"Nope... It's fine. All is well."

Link gave him another, lovely smile. A smile that drove out all the nervousness from all four corners of the angel's body... Link happily chortled some more; the brunet had to fight off the raging urge to snuggle him into incalculable pieces.

Pit grinned in return—his grin not as lovely as the blonde's, but it was indeed a grin...

_I don't think I will ever come across another pure, genuine soul, or see such a natural smile for as long as I tread upon this Earth..._

_There's nothing "artificial" about him..._

_...everything is authentic._

_His eyes, his lips, his smile..._

_He is definitely one of the precious jewels of this Earth._

Pit's thoughts were disrupted by two, mischievous boys and their kissy noises and snickers. But to their surprise, the angel hopped onto his feet—and before they knew it—stood face to face with them both.

A dark aura shrouded him, scaring the boys out of their wits.

"_You two!_ I am very, _VERY_ disappointed in—"

_**Knock Knock.**_

Link sprang to his small feet, fixing his skimpy wardrobe.

"_I'll get it_..." he told Pit, who jumped for the door.

Perhaps that wasn't a wise choice...

"_Hel_—"

Link stopped.

There, in his doorway, stood that hardheaded, ever-persistent man Ike_._

The blonde sighed, rolling his eyes.

"_Oh... _You."

"A 'Good morning, Ike' would've been just as nice," Ike took a peek inside of his dorm, spotting the kids, but Pit was not in his view, "I see you have a full house."

"Yes, we were playing a game before you arrived, and I would very much like to return to it—"

"—_I need to talk to you_, Link."

"And I've already told you, there is _nothing_ left for us to talk about! _I've made my decision._"

The Hyrulean tried his best to keep his voice at a murmur, but the presence of his ex-lover nowadays was enough to get him worked up. And plus, Pit—curious-natured—couldn't help but wonder who had come to visit. He was currently halfway through lecturing Toon Link and Ness's ears off about the importance of sharing; he felt that he could save the rest for another day.

"Link—_babe_—I _refuse_ to let it end like this... We need to talk."

"We don't '_need_' to do _anything_—"

"—_Link?_"

Pit appeared at the door. Ike's right brow quirked in a suspicious manner, and the angel did the same while wearing a distasteful scowl.

"Oh... _Pit_..." the blonde spoke lightly as if ashamed, "..._Hi_."

The mercenary folded his arms... _What's this?_

Pit placed a hand upon his precious's shoulder, muttering so that only he could hear his voice, "_Are you comfortable talking to him? I'll talk to him if you want me to..._"

"_N-No, I'm fine. But thank you for offering. I think I'm going to resolve this situation by myself._"

"_Okay_... _Are you positive?_"

The corners of the blonde archer's eyes crinkled as he smiled.

"_I'm positive, Pit. Thank you_."

"_Alright._"

And for about thirty seconds, the pair of short males gazed endlessly into the other's orbs as if they were transmitting telepathic messages.

Ike didn't like the way their eyes sparkled at one another.

With a simple pat, Pit stepped back into Link's dorm, Link's lips continuing to curve until he was out of his sight.

"What the hell was that?"

Link crossed his limbs, "Whatever do you mean?"

"You _know _what I _mean... You two! Looking all googly-eyed at each other!"_

"So?"

"'_So_'? _What?_ Is he your... your _boyfriend_ now?"

Link jumped, "_No...!_ Pit is... s-simply my friend!"

"_Che. _Could've fooled me—"

"—He is... my source of comfort when I need it most. He is my source of strength when I am weak... my source of happiness when I am troubled... he is... a _very_, _very_ good friend."

"And yet you hardly know anything about him."

"_And yet I thought I knew everything about you_."

Ike felt something squeeze his heart...

"Link... I-I came here... _to redeem myself._"

Link's azures gyrated as he blew a hefty amount of air through his nostrils.

"_Ike_—"

"—Look, I know I did you wrong. I know I've hurt you, lied to you, mislead you... And I'm sorry. I'm... _so sorry_."

"_No you're not..._" the Hyrulean muttered while turning his head, but Ike used his cold fingers to snatch it and reel it right back in its place. The two pairs of sad, oceanic eyes met one another...

Astonishingly, Ike's appeared... _sincere_.

"It was wrong of me. Very wrong. And I truthfully do not deserve you."

"You're right. _You don't._"

The indigo-haired man bit his lip, admitting, "Yeah... I don't."

The empty corridor blared with painful silence, and Pit was having a tough time eavesdropping on the pair on the other side of the door—the kids were getting quite rowdy.

"Ike... you... you don't understand," Link started after the brief moment of silence, "this entire situation. It's been so hard for me these past couple of days. To think that the one I loved—the one I trusted wholeheartedly, without question—had been... sleeping with my very best friend behind my back. The two people that I loved dearly, that I trusted and put before everyone—even I, at times—took advantage of me. Betrayed me. Took a knife and plunged it emotionlessly into my heart. Do you know how it feels to have that happen to you, Ike?"

He did not answer, so the blonde did it for him.

"It makes you feel _sick_. I felt sick. Pathetic. _Used__._ You _used_ me, Ike. The both of you used me. And you also used—_no_—_abused_ my trust. You knew that I'd _never_ doubt you whenever you went... _anywhere_. Whether it be to your dorm, to the café, to another comrade's room... anywhere. Not once in my mind did I ever question you. And you used that trust to the fullest extent.

But there were nights, Ike, and I'm sure you know what kind of nights I'm referring to. The nights where you'd say you wanted to... _ohhh_... sleep in your dorm for the night. Or go for a late walk. You weren't sleeping in your dorm nor were you taking a walk—and by the way, that's a really sorry excuse, but I guess that makes me even sorrier for falling blindly for it. You were somewhere else weren't you? Somewhere that has periwinkle walls. _With_ someone that has soft, flawless skin, a beautiful, youthful face, a voice as sweet as honey, with a nice pair of gentle, blue eyes to boot. Weren't you?"

Seconds passed before he answered.

"..._Yeah_."

Link chuckled, "I knew it_. _I didn't even need an answer, really. _Oh_—and what about the nights when we'd make love. I'm arguably a sound sleeper; when I'd wake the next day, you were hardlyever by my side. But when I'd go to the café, you and Marth were already there. '_How is that?,_' I wondered. But now, it's a no-brainer. You had sex with him as well, didn't you?"

Ike sighed, shifting his vision to his shoes.

"_Yeah._"

"Yes,_ now let me think of another—oh. _Let's not forget our recent dinner date. When you told me you were going to 'go to your dorm' to 'clear your mind'. You actually went to Marth's, dorm, correct?"

"...Yeah."

"And did he 'cheer you up'? Did he give you what I could not?"

Ike swallowed... and nodded.

Link shook his head, "And to think that I thought I was the bad lover, that I did something wrong to upset you. Lying to me in order to get in Marth's pants? What was it? Did you not want to have sex with me? Was forty-five minutes not enough for you? _I'm insufficient?_"

"_No!_ _It's not like that_—"

"Obviously so!" Link screeched with glossy pupils.

"Link—_B__aby_—_listen to me._ It's not like that, okay? I... I..._ I just made a mistake_—"

"'A mistake'? Mistake? You've made _mistakes_, Ike. Mistakes. Eight months worth of mistakes! Eight months out of our entire relationship did you spend with Marth, and you call that a mere 'mistake'? You call sleeping with my best friend—who I've loved like a dear _brother_—a 'mistake'? You call lying repeatedly to your lover about your whereabouts a 'mistake'?

I don't think you fully understand the amount of damage that you've caused. I don't think you realize what you've done to my relationship with Marth. We've been through so much together, but he's been though a lot more since he's gotten here. Roy left the mansion without a trace, and that totally, totally devastated him... to the point where he became very dependent. Those two were_ inseparable_. I was the only one who was genuinely there for him, and there wasn't a damn thing I wouldn't do for him. Whatever he wanted, I went and fetched it. Whenever he cried, I was the one to dry his tears. When there were days when he wouldn't even climb out of bed—when his heart got so heavy and he couldn't even clothe himself—I was the one to coax him out of his trance. I was the one who dressed him.

I loved him. He was more than a friend to me. We were closer than close. We told each other everything... and I thought I knew him better than I knew myself. I guess I was wrong. I mean, I can barely look at him now. I don't know who he is anymore. And then he decides to jeopardize our friendship by... by doing _this_... After all that I've done for him...?"

Ike picked up a few sniffles here and there from the hunched, blonde male...

"B-But he's really, really sorry for what he said! You heard him during Karaoke Friday! He apologized!" Ike said in the absent prince's defense.

"An apology doesn't change a damn thing! It doesn't erase the hurt you've caused! It doesn't erase the fact that you two still slept together! It's not fair to me, Ike! _How could you do this to me?_ How could you just forget about me? _I did __everything__ for you..._ Even if it caused me to go above and beyond, I still did it. I cooked for you. I cleaned for you. I gave you my body. I gave you my love. I did it all because I loved you. I did all I could to please you, never once thinking about myself. It was all about you. Ike was the only person that matter to me. For my love for you was bottomless... You held my very heart in your hands. I trusted you with it. And I've come to see now what a foolish mistake that was... Now it seems like you didn't even care about my worth... Do you remember the night, Ike? That night I gave myself to you? _Th... That_..."

Link could not bear to look into the emotional eyes of his former love as his body began to tremble. It was a beautiful night, one that the blonde could recollect ever so clearly. Those had to be the _best_ two hours of his life. Ike was so gentle with him and so compassionate... it was as if his hands and fingertips were made of nice, soft feathers.

But... was it all an illusion?

"_I was special..._ I gave you my body, an-and then you just... just go on and... _fool_ around somebody else? As if I were nothing to you? I waited for so long for something like what we had that evening. I told myself that I'd lose it to someone worthy of it. And in my eyes, you were worthy. You had all the traits and attributes that my idea of an exceptional lover had. And for those very reasons, that's why I chose to share the last piece of me that I had yet to give to you _with _you. Yet, it turned out to be meaningless..."

"That's not true at all—"

"—Yes it is! You didn't think of me once when you slipped between his sheets! And if you did, you sure as hell didn't give a damn about my feelings or the aftermath at all after the first time you got a little _taste _of Marth on your tongue. Plus you dragged it along for eight months. What does that say, Ike? _Huh?! What?!_ And of course you can't answer it, which sadly proves my point... But you've taken my trust, my love, and my innocence... leaving me with nothing more to give."

Pit—whose ear remained stuck onto the opposite end of the door—was forced to blink back his tears. His beloved had endured so much; some things that Link mentioned he had no clue about, especially about his virginity.

No one deserved to be put through that kind of agony, that kind or emotional distress... Chiefly, Link.

_Oh Link... My dear, dearest Link._

"And that's why I want to make things right between us..." Ike turned Link's dropped head to meet his glassy, moist eyes, "...I want to start over—I want to have a clean slate. You are truly the one I want to be with... You're the only one for me. The only one. My feelings for Marth do not begin to _compare_ to the feelings that I hold for you. I'm nothing... without you. I'm incomplete, ill-tempered... insufficient. An' I know it's only been a couple days, but I miss having you by my side. I miss holding you, eating with you, _kissing you_, seeing you smile—I miss all of it. And I can make it up to you. But _only _if you've willing to give me a chance—"

"Are you kidding me?" Link interrupted, slapping away the mercenary's cold hand, "You honestly think—after all that you've put me through—that I would take you back? You are horribly mistaken. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. And I'd be damned if I let you play me for a—a _fool_ a second time. I deserve to be treated so much better; I deserve to be with someone who truly loves me, respects me, and appreciates me."

Link stepped up to the indigo-haired man and cupped his rosy cheeks.

"Listen close and listen well. The answer to your question is 'no'. I don't want to give you a second chance. You've proved your loyalty to me already. We are no more. Save your breath and accept it."

"_Link_—"

The archer stepped down, and began for his door, "Perhaps you can be with Marth, now. After all, that's what you wanted, right? You wanted some prime, _royal_ ass. You didn't want to settle for a... a mere farm boy like me."

Ike did not respond. He lingered in his frozen, bewildered state.

"Have a nice afternoon—"

The mercenary yanked his arm using a treacherous strength, whisking him right into his arms.

"—_I love you_."

_Please don't do this..._

"Ike, let go."

_...It was a mistake._

"I love you. _So much_."

The indigo-haired man held him tighter...

_Don't leave... Please, Link. _

"_I-Ike!_"

"_I love you!!_"

_...I truly love you._

"_Ike, let go of me right now!_"

"_No!! I will not lose to him!!_"

Link stopped struggling against his grip, and blinked frantically.

"'Him'? _What?_ 'Him' who?"

_**Swoosh.**_

Pit—wearing a serious, serious dark expression—flung open the door with a chilling force.

"I'd like to speak with Ike... _Alone_, if you'd permit me, Link."

"I'd very much like to talk with Pit, too," the mercenary—who now wielded an intimidating glower—loosening up on the blonde. Link freed himself, but lingered a few seconds more to try and read the hateful eyes of the angel's and his formal lover.

"Um... _O__kay_."

The puzzled blonde disappeared into his room—greeted by cheerful kids—leaving the pair of eternal rivals to dwell in their pessimistic energy.

It was Ike who uttered the first word.

"_You_... it was _you_ who did this. It was _you_ who turned him against me. _You're_ the one who planted this... this _nonsense _in his head!"

"_Whoooa_, hold on there, Ike. Think about that for a minute. I was the one who caused this? I was the one who slept with his best friend? I was the one who caused him to leak tears?"

Ike blinked out of his anger.

"_What...?_"

"_Oh?_ You've never seen Link cry before?"

"...No. He... _he cried?_"

"Yes. _Twice_—that I know of. Why, I'd cry too if something of that magnitude happened to me. He _cried_ himself to sleep on my shoulder once. To hear his fragile voice crackle, and to feel his body tremble in my arms... It was _heartbreaking_ for me."

"Because you have this _thing_ for him, don't you?"

Pit teasingly humped his shoulders, "_I might_. Is there a problem?"

_And who's the nut job that called him "innocent"? _

_I'd definitely like to know._

"_Listen you," _Ike grit his teeth, "don't_ fuck_ with me—"

The angel threw up his hands, "—_There's no reason to get angry_. I'm only trying to slowly stitch him back together... and hopefully get a little closer to him in the process. He's very, very precious, and I'm quite surprised that you'd be so irrational as to take such a gem for granted. But as the earthly saying goes, 'Another man's trash is another man's treasure', I think."

"Link was _never_ my trash."

"Judging by your thoughtless actions, I consider otherwise. You've had your turn; didn't you hear him? _It's over._ Why not give someone else a chance?"

_This little..._

_...how dare he...?!_

Ike grumbled something beneath his breath, closing the gap of space between him and the angel. His burning ceruleans were shocked to meet a pair of young, fearless amethysts.

"...You think I'm _blind_, don't you? Well, I've got news for you... I see through your little scheme, Pit. 'Buddying' up to him, hoping he'd someday fall in love with you... _Predictable_. But—in time, one day—the love you have for him will not be enough. And he'll come back to me. He'll come back, seeking the love that you, he and I know that only_ I_ am capable of giving him.

It's only a matter of time; the day _will_ come.

So enjoy your time with him...

...because you _will _fail.

_You will_."

Ike squinted his glare-filled eyes at the angel below him for a final time, and left him with his malicious curse.

Pit carefully watched him strut down the lonely corridor, smirking as he clutched the knob.

_I'll 'fail', huh, Ike?_

_We'll see..._

And now with Ike seemingly cut out of the picture, will the reign of Link and Pit finally begin?

* * *

Ahhh, another chapter completed.

Ending _sucks._

My fingers are numb... _Buu_. And I still have reviews to reply to.

-dies-

I don't know about you, but I _hate _this chapter!

So very much!

Yes, I liked the Link and Pit parts. And I enjoyed writing the children scenes, too! But the scene with Ike and Link...

-tears surface-

It just... tears me up inside. Makes me wonder, "Why, Hokage? Why did Ike have to be the bad guy?"

But then again, why not? Link's way too super cute to be the bad guy, and the same goes with Pit. Marth is optional, I guess. But he's the whore, here.

_Gah,_ I confuse myself.

**NanaeTsuki:** Ahh, don't worry about the English. I'm horrible at it, too! And it's really pathetic when you've been living in an English-speaking country for all your life and you still make stupid mistakes! :D Sometimes I've wished for Ike to die—well, a lot of times. But mostly for what he's done to poor Linky! And now he'll never get him back! Or will he? Fuu fuu. Only Hokage knows the answer... You like MarthXLink? Hmm... I can somewhat see how that's come to be. Link and Marth... interesting. –rubs chin- Might make a fic with those two. But I still like IkeXLink! My first choice! Thank you very much for your update (and yes, I understood you)! –hands chocolate chip cookie-

**DragonSorceror:** Yeah, I'll get around to updating BWQ. I've gotten half of it written; I've been busy with school. Oh ho ho, do not fret. Ike will be VERY miserable in the next chapter. Like, dumped-school-girl miserable. It'll be heart-breaking to write, I'll admit. But it must be done! Marth being miserable? Hm, that'll happen, too. I'm not sure if it'll happen in the next chapter, though. We'll see. OOOOOHHHH YYYEAAAAAAAH! I re-read the "Pimp In Distress: Part Two" chapter and I realized that the "Zack" character's physique is exactly like the one from Final Fantasy! I swear that I totally made him up out of my imagination! Nice contrast!!

**Gathouria:** GAH! HAPPY HELLA-BELATED BIRTHDAY!! –bows- I would've replied sooner! But if I failed to turn in my essay I might as well have ran to the gallows! Yes. The essay was THAT serious. But I'm sure as hell glad that I'm done with it :3 And yes, the MarthXIkeXRoy scene was classic xD –pats Roy's back- Fail, Roy... FAIL.

**BlueSapphireGirl:** I hope you were addicted to the IkeXLink couple most! –eyes sparkle- and yeah, same with me. I used to like IkeXMarth, but ever since I came across this one epic picture of Ike and Link, my eyeballs exploded. And to this very day the majority of my writing is composed of IkeXLinkness. I often blurt out random things whenever I'm reading fics, too! Although it doesn't happen as much now... BWAAAA~H. I'm still upset about Ike and Link not being together! It makes me so sad... but yeah, like you said, he got what he deserved, I guess. And the LinkXPit duet has to be one of my favorite scenes so far. If Ike didn't have to be such a manwhore and cheat on Link maybe he and Link could've sang something together D: But this Ike doesn't really like singing. I dunno, it's possible, I guess. Haa Haa, don't flatter me too much, my head my burst lD But thanks for your review!! I hope this chapter was nice and long! –hands cinnamon cookie- A new flavor...

**Sachiko V:** The only fluff that I can write now since Ike and Link are out of the picture is LinkXPit. And yes, my IkeXLink muse is rather low... Ike's going to be mega pathetic in the next chapter, so that doesn't help my muse, either. The duet scene, the tree scene, the Marth-making-an-even-BIGGER-fool-out-of-himself scene... all my faves. AND the lip gloss, one. And Roy certainly does not need ANY of this drama. And if he is sucked in, I wonder how he'll handle it? And how far am I on TP? I'm STILL stuck in Lakebed Temple! I can't find the last key to defeat the boss (and I admit, I literally jumped when I had to face the giant frog dude. I can't remember if that was in Lakebed Temple or not... Oh well. But he was hella huge). So now, I'm just gonna go online or ask someone where the hell the last key is so I can defeat the boss guy and get the hell out of there!

**Tylida:** Oh, so you like LinkXPit, too? Wonderful! Sorry, my ninja skills didn't get me out of writing an essay Dl But nevertheless, I updated! –celebrates- I hope you enjoyed the much LinkXPitness in this chapter! More to come in the next~! Thank you for your review!! –gives sugar cookie- Cx

**NyoChan:** Yes, 'Tis painful watching the one you love swept up into the arms of another man... and I'm totally talking about Roy here, heh. I love writing the little adventures Pit has with the kids! So fun!

**bitbyboth:** Roy will come back into the spotlight, don't worry! He as to... _He's my last hope. _We're Pit and Link extra kawaii in this chapter?! I tried to make them be, hope I didn't try too hard.

**The Mad Joker:** Ike should be mega jealous to lose to someone like Pit. And yes, if Link gets super sad, Pit'll be there to save the day! Like Superman! No—Super Pit! (I'm really, really hot right now. 'Messes with my head).

**xXAngelic ScarsXx:** Ah yes—the Royness! There will be more of that, I'm sure. But Ike has to have his emo episode and Marth has to finish getting over his "loss". Fuu fuu. And the KIDS! I love them sooooo much! I want to buy the Ice Climbers game! But it's so rare... and I don't have a Nintendo OR Super Nintendo Entertainment System-thingy... –is depressed- And I'm still trying to figure out if Nana and Popo are brother and sister...

**Katastrophic132:** Yes, even after Link told him that they were through, he still wants to go after him!! And now he's denied AGAIN! –shakes head- It's very disheartening... Marth's right there! I mean, it's plain as day!

**Kufuffelupagus:** I'm not sure if this chapter is as long as this one is, I'll have to check the word count. But it probably is, knowing Hokage. I just don't know how to stop writing. I think it's a curse or something. I hope this chapter had enough Royness~! Waah, now I wanna play SSBM!!

**Flock o' Seagulls:** "Hot Fluff". That's an oxymoron! Sorry, I've been identifying different literary terms like crazy outside of the classroom since I just finished epically FAILING a test on all sixty of them. That was the worst fifty-five minutes OF MY LIFE. _Ehem_, anyway... I HATE GANONDORF. But isn't it his job to make Link cry? And I was worried that no one would understand the whole bathroom scene, but I'm glad that I was wrong! I'm good at Science-y stuff, too! English? Sometimes. French? Yes. I'm good at constructing the sentences and stuff. But pronunciation? _FAIL_. And we have to perform skits every two weeks or so. So that's a double fail for me. I guess I get tongue-tied, I dunno. I UPDATED ON FRIDAY THE THIRTEENTH? Awesome!

**Kurai:** The bathroom scene was a big hit I guess xD I'll have to keep writing more of those...

**Ichininmae:** It's like, Ike doesn't see what he's done wrong. I mean, he knows what he's done, but he just doesn't see it. He has a rock for a brain. Or rather a penis in this case. And yes! Cheating with best friends should be against the law! Both of the philanderers will be sentenced to death! Huzzah! Um... clearly, Pit's going to be somewhat of the seme. We'll see how it goes from there! Ah—see?! It's not easy choosing between the three hotties!! But if I absolutely had to, I'd choose Link. Marth and Roy were made for each other. Zelda or Malon? Well, personally, I hate Zelda. _Defenseless bitch_. You think she'd learn some goddamn self defense after Ganondorf has been kidnapping her in every fraken game since the beginning of time. But yeah, I like Malon. I just like Link gay, thassal C: GAY LINK! EEE. Haa haa about the two reviews, I totally did not notice the name change. It freaked me out a bit xD But I can access your page now! Which is good news, in a sense!

**Ernoma:** PAPER MARIO! I totally want that game! –lowers head- _But I has no munnies... _Damn Hokage and her addiction to buying expensive, yaoi manga... I envy you. Fire Emblem 7... Is that Radiant Dawn? I'm not so sure, but _BYYYAAAAGGGGHHHH._ I saw it in the store once—ONCE. That's how rare it is for me!! And I was going to get it... –lowers head- _But I still has no munnies... _Yeah, I've heard of Ike and Soren. But I likes Linky-pie better. Well, if I had to do a crossover, of course I'd pair Ike up with Link. But if I had to write a FE fic—and totally FAIL at it—I'd pair him up with Soren. –squee- My chapters take two hours to read O8 I'm not so sure what "LAWL" actually means. I think it's just another way of saying "lol" I guess.

And you said this in the last review, "okays, i guess i'll be sittin' here till the next chapter comes out :D see ya in a few months."

Ahh, I see you know me very well xD

**JtheChosen1:** Ike will have his share of pain. And he will squirm in pain!! I will make sure of it. What he has done to Link is horrible! And selfish! But I want Ike to find happiness, too! Even if he thinks with his dick! -`~-

**Rasengan Kagebunshin:** Yeah, TP is pretty difficult Clawshot-wise. I have a hard time controlling it. YAY for PitXLinkness!!

**Lunar Guardian:** My grades got me in trouble. They didn't really matter, though, since it was a damned interim. And sometimes I leave somethings out of the little 'Next Chapter' thingy to keep you guessing, and to not give away the whole chapter! Makes it interesting, I think. And what was Link thinking when Pit hugged him in the last chapter?

"Boy, Pit sure is warm."

xDDD And to answer your other question... Yes. Link's SLOWLY, SLOWLY, SLOWLY falling for Pit. He likes Pit, but he doesn't know it yet. You: "How exactly is that possible?" I dunno. I just can't wait to write them smexing each other's brains out. Fun-ness C:

**Midnight - Queen of Link x Pit:** (I love your new name!! :DDD –bows respectfully to the Queen-) Oh! It's alright for forgetting to review! I often forget, too, especially since I get so much junk mail that it's ridiculous. Link realizes his feelings for Pit—but he doesn't know it yet, bummer—and all is _almost _well! "I'll sew your nuts to your freaky Botox face and roll you back to Tellius, you cockwhore!" –is horrified- Ike has a Botox face? xD Hope this chapter was satisfying!

**-XKajiX-:** Yes, Roy is still in love with Marth!! And Link fell in love with Pit~ I was wondering how long it would take, too... But yeah, what will happen when Roy finds out about Marth and Ike? Will he still love him, you ask? What will Marth and Ike do? We shall see. But I'm telling you it will be a very emotional chappie. _Ahh!!_ You're welcome for the cookie!!

**Rayestar Ikina: **That's the one power I'd like to have: flight. And YES! '_MICHIYUKIIIIIIIIII'!!!! _I'VE MEMORIZED THAT SONG. I KNOW IT LEFT AND RIGHT. UP AND DOWN, TOO! O w O GAAAH~ -twirls in sparkles- I can go on and on about Loveless (Ritsukaaaaaaa~ Tottemo Kawaii~!) But erm. Yes. I love Loveless... Very much. "Tsuki No Kassu" is alright, but I like the ending more than the opening (and thanks for the little correction thing; I was listening to some Naruto Shippuden opening... "Shooting Star" I believe it was...?) I WATCHED ALL THE EPISODES WITHOUT STOPPING! And they ended it at the most HORRIBLE part EVER. I was like "WTF?" But I'm glad the manga's still continuing. I'm trying to catch up by buying the manga (but I already cheated by reading it online) which is preventing me from buying Fire Emblem Radiant-effing-Dawn on Wii.

I'm sure glad that I only know my numbers in Spanish up to about fifteen and I know that the color yellow is pronounced something like "Al-ma-ree-oh". Or maybe it's not, I was taught some Spanish in second grade and that was it. I'm good a constructing the sentences in French, but pronunciation is what gets me. That's why I hate performing to my classmates... But eh, what good is learning a language and you don't use it?

I have only two BFFs that I can fully trust with everything. We've known each other for a good while. Almost five years. And one boyfriend—that I despise greatly, but has forgiven. I'm more focused on school now, and I might as well be. I'm taking an AP class next year -.- The dreaded _European History._

**lyudesshadow:** Yes! Roy is here to save the day—_I hope. _And I'm glad you like Pit's motherly, caretaking side!! It's heart-warming to write, especially when he's with the kids!

**LittleFoxDemon: **I'm glad that you like it!! Hope you enjoy more (and I also hope that you'll get used to the long chapters)! A cookie for you! It's chocolate chip! –hands cookie over to Demon-Chan)

**OctoberBee:** _Bee!_ As in my nickname (which is weird, because I hate bees with a passion) C: -is sad- You're not crazy about IkeXLink? –pouts- Eh, that's okay. It'll sink in, heh heh. It captivates the senses... or something like that. But anyway, eh heh, thanks so much for the compliments! And I will keep writing! Yep, yep! I don't think I can ever stop writing, actually. I don't think it's possible for me. Ah—thanks for your review!! –hands sugar cookie- x3

**Yappa: **Ahh, 'dying' to know? Well I hope this chapter was satisfying!! I poured all I could into it. Experience works wonders, I tell you, wonders. Thanks for reviewing, Yappa—I have the strangest urge to type "Nappa" whenever I type your name. Y'know, the bald dude from Dragonball Z? Nevermind. I'm just odd.

....

_It... is... Finished_.

(The reviews, I mean.)

So um, I'm sorry for the lateness. I'm a sorry, sorry, _SORRY_ excuse of a human being as you all should know by now. _Two_ months late.

Link's _speech _was a _pain_ to write. Kinda emotional, too, so that's part of why the update is late. I put lots of feeling into it; I wanted it to be authentic... to make you feel his pain. _Did I do a good job? -sweat-_

Umm..._ I'm not good with money._

So, you ask Hokage what's happening in the next highly-anticipated chapter?

_**Next Chapter... **_The **second installment** of the **MarthXRoy flashback **_**continues! **_Ike—miserable and broken-spirited—spends the rest of his free day scarring up oak trees in anger and mourning the loss of his lover, Link, wishing to be in absolute solitude as he coops himself up in his dorm. Marth, however, does not agree to such behavior, and does all he can to lift the mercenary's spirits. He also handles some of his personal problems. Link and Pit have some alone time to themselves, too, the blondie beginning to second-guess his decision!! _Did he do the right thing?_

WAH~ I simply cannot_ wait_ to start writing this chapter! But I have other stories... So I _vow_ to update as fast as I can and stop being a lazy-ass all the time.

I am _notorious_ for that.

**I have a question**: Did anybody buy the game **Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon**? Marth's in it, and I'd like to buy it C: That is, if I can learn how to save and stop buying every yaoi manga that has an adorable bishie on the cover.

And as I was taking snapshots on SSBB, I couldn't help but notice two **unicorn-like figures on Marth's cape**. And so I wondered, are those truly unicorns? Or are they just horses with horns on their heads?

If you tell me, those things look like unicorns, unless someone proves me wrong xD I fail at FE.

I _also_ wonder if Nana and Popo are sister and brother? Or are they just partners? They look like twins to me, and I looked up their bios on multiple sites, but they kept giving me crap about the games and the SNES console.

_Odd._

_But anyway,_

-bow-

_Adios! Salut! _

Or in English, _see you!_

Review if you please.

..._And_ visit my poll.

lD

Much Love,

HokageAkamaru


	18. A New Beginning

Title: A Lover's Brawl

Pairing(s): **IkeXLink**,** IkeXMarth**, Eventual** MarthXRoy**, Eventual** PitXLink**

Rating: M

**Full Story:** _Link has always been the quiet, shy type. That is… until Ike came into his life. Since then, Ike and Link have been an inseparable item ever since they've laid eyes on each other. Marth, coping with his broken heart after the disappearance of his very own lover—Roy—had secretly loved Ike from the beginning. But it was too late, Link was the only one on Ike's mind._

_With his seductive powers and body, he lures Ike to him, the both of them sharing many nights together. And ever since, Ike has not been able to let him—nor his delicious shape—go. Link is totally unaware of this, Ike constantly lying to him about his whereabouts to protect he and his prince's relationship. With whole-hearted trust, Link believes every single word._

_Marth wants a fully committed relationship with Ike_—_tired of hiding it—and he will do anything to get it, even if that means hurting one of the people that he loves the most._

_But there is one more person that complicates this plot._

_Someone who watches his crush from afar._

(This story takes place after Super Smash Brother's Melee, the reason why Roy is "missing")

**A/N:** I am back from a short break. Sorry for the late update. I was too busy thinking, studying, working on exams (which—along with school—are finally done with), and lying on my ass all day, watching the original Pokémon episodes and Sailor Moon movies on DVD/Video cassette. Yeah, I was in a nostalgic mood, I guess...

...And my brain hurted from all the writing I've been doing. But it's my fault for creating so many stories all at once.

I don't regret it, though. I love my stories. lD

Thank you all for all the reviews/favorites/alerts/etc. I don't write/type this for my health, and so I hope that you'll enjoy more of this in the future~

:D

_So_... what's in this chapter?

**PitXLink**ness, bittersweet **IkeXMarth**ness and **MarthXRoy**ness, and a splash of **IkeXLink**ness.

Woop-dee-freaking-doo.

I'm not very ecstatic about it, since Ike and Link are... _are_... no more.

Life has no meaning now.

(Gomen for mistakes and grammar and... yadda.)

* * *

_June 3__rd__... 2:45 A.M._

_It's been two weeks since our argument. _

_Marth hasn't uttered a single word to me, nor has he given me an apology for all the things he's said._

_I don't understand it... if anyone should be angry, then it should be me! I'm not the one at fault! He's the one who called me a crybaby! _

_Right?!_

_I don't like apologizing for things that I did not do or cause. And I suppose this is why we are acting the way we are now._

_Distant, nonverbal... cold._

_But he will not receive an apology from me. _

_He will not._

_And he probably never will._

_Link and I had prepared this nice dinner, but I did not know that he invited Marth. This was perfect, I thought, because I had made up my mind to give him until tonight to say "I'm sorry". _

_He did utter those words... _

_...but they were not directed towards me._

_Flashback..._

Roy greeted the new day with a delightfully-mortifying scream. He arose from within his covers with a flash, heaving as if he'd just finished sprinting a twenty-four mile track nonstop, his eyes embraced by two, black rings.

He had a bad dream.

Again.

The very same one.

Three times in a row.

Now _that _had to be unusual.

A massive Marth—boring a traumatizing, demonic facial expression and illuminated by a blinding, red glow—was dangling his body by his ankle in a teasing manner over a round crevasse of sweltering water, biting with rabid, hellish, vengeful teddy bears... the very same ones that Roy beheaded two weeks prior to their tussle. These specific bears were dirty and tainted... some were missing their buttons and some their beady, black eyes. Their once warm and comforting smiles were ripped apart by jagged spear-like teeth, all awaiting to devour the succulent flesh of the dangling one. They leaped nearly six or seven meters into the air like piranhas—like popcorn kernels on a heated skillet—each precisely aiming for Roy's head.

"_My, my, my! You're hungry today, darlings. I hope I wasn't too long! But don't worry, look what mommy's brought!_"

A dark, echoing chuckle ended that statement, one that rang throughout the endless black void of space, Roy being lowered gradually to be much, much closer to the bears.

"Marth! Marth, _please!_ Let me up, let me up!"

"_Oh look~! He's a wiggly one, too!_"

"Marth—_Whoa!_"

As the devilish prince teased the bears even more, one roughly nipped the redhead's finger clean off.

"_Now, now... settle down, my loves! There'll be enough to go around!_"

Roy looked his lover in his blackened, possessed orbs, "Marth, please! Let me up!! I beg of you! _Please!_"

The prince lifted him from the pit of piranhas, dangling his powerless body inches away from his face. He crinkled his nose as he glowered at his lover.

"_Apologize to me!_"

Roy would, that is, if he could. After Marth's command, when he parted his lips, nothing would ever come out. And this, of course, further infuriated the "demon" prince. Towards the end of his nightmare, it always, always ended with the prince releasing his ankle, Roy's squeals resounding throughout the black room. But before he became teddy bear bait, he'd wake up sweating and shrilling 'til his lungs burst...

...A shaken Roy felt himself all over.

Thankfully, he was still compacted into one piece.

These dreams... they were getting and feeling more realistic each and every time... The sights, the bears... but not his prince's unforgiving pupils... He received at least two crippling glares from that pair of oceanic eyes daily... but he didn't care. He wasn't getting that apology.

Roy showered, dressed himself and went on down to the café to get something in his stomach. There here saw Link munching on a green apple at their usual table, and Marth, sitting at the bar area, elegantly gulping down a strawberry-banana smoothie and most-likely reading a magazine. He made no recognition of his lover's late appearance whatsoever, even though he entered rather loud.

The redhead proceeded onto fixing a plate for himself, and lastly taking a seat next to his Hyrulean friend.

"Hey, Roy."

Link patiently waited for a response, but upon realizing that he wasn't going to get one, he sought an answer from the obvious grimace on his friend's lips, which told it all.

"So. How're you holdin' up?"

Roy picked around his omelet with his knife.

"I'm doing fine."

"'You two made up yet?"

Roy crossed his arms, "Obviously not, Link! I mean, we'd be talking if that happened!"

"_Whoa, whoa_... Wait. So you're telling me that this whole thing—the no-talking, the evil glares—has been going on for..." Link stopped briefly to do the math on his fingers, "...two weeks now?!"

"Yeah."

"_Oh Roy..._" he mumbled, aggravated. Link couldn't begin to imagine the pain and heartache his comrade was experiencing, or has experienced, in the past weeks. Roy was trying his hardest to keep up a thick skin—or a "macho attitude" and not totally break down into tears—but the acidic time that passed him on by was relentlessly eating at his stubborn heart like a ticking time bomb... He could lose it at any moment, and a ballistic Roy was a rare but unforgettable sight.

But why wouldn't Link resolve this dire circumstance like he'd done every other one?

Simple. He'd personally grown tired of solving their dilemmas for them. And—no surprise—Roy was, too. On another note, Roy wanted to see if he—without the blonde's interference—could solve their romantic troubles, but the likelihood of that actually happening was looking pretty dim for them both.

"So neither of you apologized yet?"

"Why do I have to apologize?!" blurted the offensive redhead, slamming both fists onto the small, circular table.

"_Roy_. You stated about a week ago that the both of you called one another names. Now feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, but you told me that you called Marth something along the lines of 'selfish' and 'conceited'. You also mentioned that he called you a 'crybaby'. That's somewhat true, right?"

"Yes!!"

"And so my question is... why won't you apologize for calling hi—?"

"—Why should I apologize for something that's true?! Huh, Link?! Ever thought about that?!"

Link pursed his lips shut, jumping afterwards, for the young man sitting beside him stabbed the egg-like meal with his sharpened, metal, butter knife with brute force. He could've possibly made a dent in the plate...

"Now I'd really like to get to my omelet!"

The blonde excused himself from the table—not wanting to take any chances with a schmaltzy Roy and a blade. He later jogged to the bar to get Marth's side of the story.

"_Hellooo_, Marth," he casually greeted, biting a chunk out of his juicy apple. The prince responded with a frank nod, skimming through a fashion magazine.

Hey... at least he acknowledged him.

"Sooo... how're you and Roy fairing—?"

"—'_Why should I apologize for something that's true?!_'" Marth pouted, mimicking his lover in the childish tone he used, turning the page, "Heh... poppycock... _Oh, those are cute..._"

Link tossed his hands to the ceiling—careful of not dropping his beloved fruit.

"Are you two going to continue on with this juvenile fight for another week?!"

Marth leisurely swirled his red and yellow straw around in the glass cup, watching the pinkish liquid go 'round and 'round.

"Apparently so. He's not apologizing, therefore I won't."

"So that's it? Since he's not going to apologize you're not going to be man enough and admit that what you called him was wrong...?"

"Calling someone a narcissist—_even when it is completely and utterly not true_—is far worse than calling someone something as _painless_ as a crybaby—"

"—It's not about what name or insult hurts a person more than this or that... It's about feelings! And Roy's feelings were hurt!"

The prince rolled his azures, "Roy's feelings are _always_ hurt. He's too sensitive! That's what I dislike about him! His sensitivity is partially why we're having this discussion right now!"

Link sighed, "Marth... look at me." He decreased the amount of volume and harshness in his tone as he patted Marth's shin, "...You can stop this. Roy needs you; he wants you to end this. You two have something so special, and you're going to let it all go to waste over some silly disagreement?

True... What Roy said to you wasn't something a lover should say, I agree with you on that. But what you chose to counter with wasn't pleasant, either. It'll probably be difficult, but please—for Roy's wellbeing—just apologize."

Prince Marth slowly spun around in the little, blue spinny chair, looking to his lover who he instantly pinpointed with the help of his great, bright mass of ruby hair. Roy appeared to be giving his omelet hell with his dagger and ferocious appetite...

"...Don't let him go that easily. Win him back."

And that he tried to do.

The matches started shortly after Link's encouraging speech, and several times did the three simple words try to emerge from the prince's throat... but all attempts failed at the very, very last minute. He would approach the lone, redheaded man fuming at his special tree and part his lips, but nothing—not one little sound—would pass through. This disappointed the younger man.

He couldn't—or refused to, in his perception—do something as simple as saying, "I'm sorry"?

Come dinnertime, Roy and Link were buzzing about in the small kitchen, cooking dinner in the blonde's place. The duo worked diligently side by side, Roy preparing the vegetables as Link took care of boiling the pasta. On normal days—the days when he wasn't pissed at Marth for who-knows-what—the redhead would occasionally whistle a melodious tune as he cooked and spun about and laugh... but today, melody-wise, Link's dorm was barren.

Disturbingly quiet.

And like he had in his possesion earlier that morning, Roy was once again using a knife to cut the bell peppers down to size. So this time around, Link was going to be extra careful in a verbal sense. But he wasn't going to be capable of keeping that up soon. There was a little something that he was hiding from his sparring buddy...

Link twisted the knob on the stove to "High". The water with the uncooked ravioli shells settled in a large pot near the left, rear end of the stove began boiling like mad.

"Alrighty. I've got the pasta goin'."

"That's good..."

The blonde stepped over to his redheaded friend, seeing if there was something he could do while he waited for the ravioli to finish.

"You need help?"

"No, no. I got it."

"You sure...? You've got quite a couple peppers left. I can take 'em."

Roy's lips created a sincere smile...

"Yeah, I'm sure. Thanks for asking, though."

"No problem."

The crimson-haired man sliced the last of his red bell pepper and formed a separate pile that neighbored the green, diced peppers.

"I'm sorry for being... you know... a little... _snappy_... earlier this morning, Link."

"Oh no no, I understand! We all get a little cranky... no big deal. You don't need to apologize to me..."

Link set a hand on his shoulder, "...but there's someone else that could surely use one."

Roy chuckled, "Oh, Link... _You're so sweet, I tell ya_... If you ever decide to stop denying your sexuality and snag yourself a nice boyfriend, please don't get one that spends more time in the mirror than you do on a weekly basis..."

The archer flushed as red as the peppers, "_Umm_... I don't look in the mirror often."

"_Yeah... _that's true. Well, if there's one little piece of advice I could give you, I recommend you to get a sweet, loving guy that doesn't look in the mirror at all—except for to brush his teeth and wash his face, of course. Take my situation, for consideration."

Link frowned, lifting a large, heavy bowl filled with pasta sauce and positioned it near his friend, beginning to stir...

"..._He has until tonight_."

The blonde's body froze... entirely. What did he mean by that? Who had until tonight? Was it Roy? For what reason?

"O-Or else...?"

"Or else we're done. I won't have to put up with his saucy attitude anymore—"

"—Roy, y-you don't mean that—"

Roy abruptly stopped his cutting to peer darkly and effectively at his friend through his fallen hair.

"—_I do. I mean it_."

And just as slowly did he resume cutting into his peppers, the room consumed in silence yet again.

Link worked the red paste around with his wide spoon...

_Well... It's a fine time to tell him... _

"Uhh... Roy? You wouldn't mind if I invited another person to dinner, right?"

"...Nope. That's okay. The more the merri—_hold on_. As long as this person's not—"

"—It's Marth."

Roy stabbed the halved red pepper, which oozed reddish juice and teeny, yellow seeds. He heaved and hoed as if he were recovering from an asthma attack...

"_You... invited... who?_" the redheaded swordsman grunted in a satanic manner, his small arm that contained the lethal weapon vibrating.

"_M-Marth_—"

"—And what in God's name motivated you to do that?!!"

"I-I just want you two to make up already! I can't take this fighting anymore! A-And besides! You said you wanted him to apologize by tonight, right?! T-This'll be his chance!"

Ro's arm gradually stopped jiggling.

He did have a very crucial point there.

Roy used the hand wielding the glistening knife to rub his chin. Yeah... that would give him enough time to fess up to his wrong-doing...

"Hmm... that's very thoughtful of you, Link. _Yes_... Yes, this is a good idea..."

Eventually, Link thought it was safe enough to come closer to his friend, so he peeled his body off the door on which it stuck to as he moved away from his threatening pal.

Roy sprung back into work, whistling a murderous melody—one that you would not want to hear if you were out somewhere, alone, in a shady alley—chopping into the peppers with more added force and speed, an evil simper on his rose-colored lips. He looked up to Link at one moment, a smile lightening his somewhat dark-like visage...

"Well, Link? What're you waiting for? We have a dinner to prepare!"

"Y-Yeah... right."

The meal was ready in no time, the two men using teamwork to get finish the job. Though Link was driven by fear whenever his friend wielded the knife. He did this and that and whatever he was told to by Roy to avoid getting on his mysterious bad side... The piping-hot ravioli was set on the kitchen counter to cool, and right beside it rested three, golden-brown garlic bread sticks. Roy tended to the fresh, garden salad as his blonde amigo set the table with differentiating salad dressings, fancy forks and napkins. They conversed lightly, and it was only a matter of time before prince arrived at Link's dorm.

Three, soft knocks signaled his early arrival...

...and Roy was ready for him.

Of course, Marth was unsuspecting of Roy's attendance and so the blonde and Roy himself could only wonder how he was going to react. Link's fingers cloaked about the bronze knob as he pulled open the door.

"Hello~! Sorry I'm late. Peach made some extra lemonade, and so I asked if I could use a pitcher for—"

Marth wasn't even halfway into the dorm when his vivid, blue eyes met his significant other's striking pair. Link gave the two some time to drink in the situation. Roy folded his arms, smirking those perfect, thin lips away. The prince returned the smile, but his pupils mirrored his true emotions. He was shocked. Petrified. Link didn't say anything about Roy being there!

"Link... you didn't say we were going to have company!"

"Actually, Marth... _you_ were the one invited," Roy mentioned.

Marth completely ignored his lover's smart comment and waltzed to the table, giving up the cool pitcher to Link. He took a whiff of the air and squealed.

"Oooh! Ravioli?!"

"Yep! It'd taste terrible if it's cold, so let's eat!" the blonde swordsman shouted, trying to thin the thickening tension that was just beginning to manifest between the dueling duo. Link was sure to separate the two from sitting directly next to each other once they all gathered around the table—who knows what could occur? They filled their own, sparkling-ivory plates with as much as they desired before being seated.

"Wow... Everything looks delicious, Link!" complimented the piper prince, helping himself to some salad.

"Thank you... But I can't take all the credit. Roy helped, too!"

Roy took heed of the way Prince Marth simply and coldly shrugged off Link's point that he had cleverly made known. This both hurt him and caused the well-managed temperature of his blood to rise...

If it hadn't been for Link being present and his ability to spark conversation, the trio would've eaten in bone-chilling silence, excluding the clinking of the forks, glasses and plates. It was by far the most uncomfortable dinner Marth had had in his short life. Tirelessly and unremittingly did he feel Roy's vibrant, livewire-like eyes puncturing his every body part... even slicing through the inch-thick table and underneath the fine cloth. But he knew why they were stabbing at him. They carefully monitored each and every time his silver fork went into his mouth, every time he brought his refreshing glass of lemonade to his stout, glossy lips...

He was waiting...

...waiting... for that humble apology.

It would _forever _be a mystery to the blonde as to how Roy could eat and drink while not once—not even for a moment—taking his eyes off his lover's. He did not spill a drop of the citreous juice or waste a morsel of food...

Those inflamed orbs pinned relentlessly onto their partner's, and Marth couldn't pretend to not feel them for much longer. He could crack under pressure at any given time... but to forbid that from happening prematurely, Marth engaged in conversation with the blonde man who was just a shoulder away.

"So... How's everything, guys?" nervously inquired the pointy-eared one.

"Perfect," uninterestingly replied Roy, his eyes unmoving from their specified target. The prince smiled—avoiding Roy's blue eyes—elegantly wiping his mouth with his napkin.

"Everything is spectacular! Very delicious!"

He reached out and over to clasp at his glass, but as he was grinning at Link—taking his eyes off his beverage—he made the wrong move... thus the now spilled lemonade. The liquid branched out unpredictably like the limbs of a tree... like stretchable arms of water, staining the snowy, lacy table cloth of the blonde's.

Link felt like yanking each thread of hair out of his head one by one.

"_M-My linen!!_"

Prince Marth shrieked like a mouse, salvaging his glass cup, napkin and all that he could save before getting tainted by the yellow-dyed drink. He himself scooted back a little to prevent catching unwanted stains in his satin shirt.

"Oh Link! _I-I-I'm so sorry!_"

And that was it.

Those last words are what helped bring the psycho out in Roy.

"_THAT'S IT!_"

Roy nearly flipped the entire table over twice as he rocketed out of his chair. Steam spewed from his nostrils and ears, his nails frighteningly turned into claws, his eyes grew thrice their normal size, and his amplified voice...

...he sounded as if he had just finished gargling shards of glass.

Roy leaped—or did he fly? Neither awe-stricken man could tell at that point—onto the table, yanking the prince by his fancy collar to meet his face, leaving about an inch of space between them.

"You... you stuck-up, mirror-gazing, self-absorbed, pompous, vainglorious, portentous _egoist! _

_Two weeks!!_ Two weeks and all I had to do to get an apology from you was to have you spill my fucking drink?! _That's all?!?!!_"

Marth... gulped.

"That apology for Link rolled off your tongue with no trouble at all! So why is it that hard to apologize to me?! I AM YOUR LOVER!

'I'm sorry for calling you a crybaby, Roy. I love you. Let's never fight for as long as we're together!' How hard is that?! I would've been happy with something as simple as 'Sorry' but _NO!_ You had to be all self-righteous, consume yourself with pride and strut around this mansion as if someone shoved a pride stick up your ass! _Well you look here_... I am not allowing myself to be burdened with someone like you! You may be cute and dazzling, but deep down... _you're rotten_.

Unappreciative, undeserving and rotten! And... an'..."

Link's lips softened into a frown as he felt his hurt redheaded friend's heart becoming heavier and heavier with each word that he cursed in fervent emotion...

Tears... glossy, beautiful tears bubbled in his cerulean eyes.

Marth remained inert.

"...an' you're not my turtledove anymore! You're just a... _a_ _jerk_, Prince Marth!"

The babbling Roy, stumbling out of Link's dorm with his arm hiding his shameful crying face, left his friend and lover with those final words... or ex-lover... Marth was unsure of where their relationship status currently stood. Link was less concerned about his dirtied table cloth and the splattered food and dishes right then. His own heart went out to both men, and in predicaments like these, he automatically sensed that he was needed.

Link stepped over the knives and forks to get to the royal prince, pulling up the chair he had recently sat in. The tender touch of his sweet hands and the compassionate tone of voice moved the prince to tears...

"_I didn't mean him any harm, Link! I didn't! I didn't want to make him cry!_"

"I know you didn't."

After bouts of comforting, cuddle time, the two men got around to cleaning up the remnants of a peaceful, friendly dinner gone wrong. They started off with the dishes: one washed and one dried.

"I'm sorry about your tablecloth, Link... Is there any way I can—"

"—Marth, don't even worry about it. You've already got enough to deal with as it is."

"_Link_..._ I feel so awful_... so... _nasty_. How am I ever going to get him back? _If I can get him back..._"

Link placed his dishcloth back into the murky dishwater to join the rest of the dishes yet to be cleaned...

"I don't have an answer for you right now, but I'm sure you'll think of something. I said I'd let you and Roy handle this..."

He slapped a sudsy hand onto his broad shoulder.

"...I'm counting on you to make this work."

_The Next Morning..._

Prince Marth arose bright and early the next day, almost at the break of dawn. Making it up to his sweet, strawberry-haired amour was the very first thing on his morning agenda. He bathed, clothed and primped himself to perfection.

Marth was given permission by Peach to snip a few blood-red roses from her colorful, bountiful rose garden free of charge. He gingerly enclosed them in a decorated plastic and tied them with a matching, blood-red ribbon. She ever-so-sweetly offered him a small card to write a short, sugary sentence or two to tuck into his bouquet after nosily asking who they were for.

He told the princess that they were Roy's, of course, and in a hurried matter bolted out of the garden to evade further invasion of his privacy. He wished to keep the fight between he and his lover as confidential as possible.

Marth signed the mini card, scribbling a heart-wrenching—in a good way—message inside and began the trek to seek out his love.

He checked his dorm first, figuring that he'd be there. He stood confidently outside of his door, "_Rooooy!_ Good morning...! Um... Please allow me to apologize! I brought flowers! _Roses!_"

...But Roy did not come to the door.

Oddly, it was unlocked.

Marth peered around his dorm—everything was neat and nothing was out of place. It was like no one even occupied the room because it was so tidy all the time! He excavated every room and compartment for his little love—from the top to the bottom—but he was nowhere to be found. The prince did wake up a few minutes late, and Roy was an early bird on particular days, so maybe he'd awakened much earlier... maybe he's in the café or out on the fields.

His second stop was indeed the café. A few Smashers resided there, but not many. Handfuls were already planted on the grassy field, chatting away and awaiting the signal that kicked off the tournaments.

Link was there, yapping away with Zelda about something. Marth plucked him away from the small crowd before he asked his friend if he'd seen his love at all that morning.

"_Umm_... No. Not really. You sure he's not still in his dorm?"

"I looked thoroughly, and no, he's not there..."

"He's probably hiding knowing his nature... Just give him a little time to cool... He'll surface shortly."

........

...It had been five hours.

Five long, lonely hours, and no Roy.

And for this did a paranoid Prince Marth begin to worry. He had a bad feeling... something unpleasant lurked at the base of his gut. An eerie feeling—a sixth sense—that told him something was wrong. But he stubbornly refused to be entranced by the possibilities that those pessimistic feelings presented to him.

The noble continued his hunt in other areas, but he did not have much luck.

Dinner came... and it was a dinner without Roy. Surely he'd be hungry by now. The café staff swore that during the tournaments they had not seen Roy stop by for a light snack.

He had not come... not once.

The prince questioned all around for his redheaded lover and best friend a second time around, but not one individual could positively recall if they had seen him. Majority of them claimed the last time they sighted him was some time last night.

But those answers were not good enough for him. He was going to get to the bottom of this one way or another... preferably before ten o' clock.

But... in a twist of events... he'd gotten his answer soon before that. Link—with a heart measuring two tons and red-tinted eyes—broke the news as gently as he could to his friend, sitting him down in his dorm, the both of them in dressed in PJs.

At first, Prince Marth did not understand what he was telling him.

Roy had left?

Left where?

To the grocery store?

To the mall?

Home?!

_Where?!_

"Master Hand said that Roy came to him early this morning—at three o' clock—desiring to leave, and he allowed him to... so... he's gone."

"'Gone'?! What're you talking about?! Roy can't just simply leave!!"

"I didn't want to believe it either. Mario told me the news not too long ago, and Master Hand tells him everything... He's gone, Marth. _He quit_."

He did not want to believe it. He honestly thought that Link was lying to him—that Link was pulling his leg. But what reason did he have to do that? The blonde man would never tell him a lie, but he wouldn't believe Link's claim until he got a confirmation from The Man—or _hand_—himself. The blonde and the prince paced to the main, forbidden chamber located at the very, very top of the manor where the commander dwelled above all.

"Yes. What Link told you was quite right. Roy requested to remove himself from the competition; I asked him if this was something he really wished to do. And he replied with 'yes'."

"And so you just let him go?! Without telling anyone?!"

"What could I have possibly said to keep him here? He seemed unhappy and he wanted to leave. That was his wish—"

"—No it wasn't, you _bastard!!_" Marth fiercely ejected as he sobbed, struggling against Link's forceful grip on his hands. He was no match for Master Hand. "You—You could've _fucking_ stopped him!! You could've stopped Roy! Why didn't you?!! Tell me why! _TELL ME WHY!!_"

Master Hand was silent... Link warmly enveloped him from behind, pressing his nose into his soft, cobalt hair.

"Marth... it's okay. It's okay—"

"—It's n-not o-kay!! _Roy's gone!!_ _He's g-gone, Li-nk, h-he's gone!! He let 'im go..._

..._He's gone_."

_End Flashback..._

_This is possibly going to be my last journal entry, although I have many more blank pages left to write in. What a waste of paper, huh? I truthfully thought that I would fill this book to its very last page, but... it's a first, I suppose._

_I don't plan on bringing this journal with me. Reading it would only spark memories that I wish to not relive... and so it will remain here. In my dorm... like the few other pieces of me that I've decided to leave..._

_...There's no clear reason as to why I'm leaving. _

_Yes._

_I don't even know why I'm leaving... _

_But let's see where it takes me._

_Um... I would like to thank the many friends that have been there with me and for me. I don't think I will ever encounter another colorful, assorted bunch for as long I'm allowed to live. I want to thank the one man that has forced me to see the many flaws of my inner being, and who has shared with me some of the most sweetest memories I shall never forget. I also wish to acknowledge the one man who's been there for me when I needed him most... who's given me power and strength in the midst of rough times. _

_And lastly, I thank you for allowing me to express my true thoughts and feelings in your sheets, dear Journal. _

_I know for sure that all of them will be kept safe with you._

_Yours Truly (and always),_

_Roy_

xXx

_Earlier That Morning..._

Bright and shiny Prince Marth hummed a jolly jingle as he skipped down the hushed corridors, his destination being Ike's dorm. He'd skimmed through a sales paper from his most favorite clothing store and the moment his brilliantly blue orbs fixed upon this cute and classy blouse, he immediately fell in love. And from that moment on, he felt as if he absolutely must have it in his possession, or the world would finally come to an end.

What was his purpose for traveling to the mercenary's joint? He was going to ask the man if he'd like to tag along. It would get the thought of Link and Pit off his mind, and the prince also took it as a window of opportunity to get closer with the man... in sort of a friendlier sense. And on top of that, he craved to see Ike _happy_ for a change. The entire week he had been roaming about the grounds like an emotionless zombie... like someone just sapped the life energy right out of him.

Marth had intentions to pour that life back into him in any way he could, because he felt like the only person in the entire mansion that could bring the old Ike back to his senses...

The prince faced his taller friend's door with a toothy grin, raising his knuckles as he prepared to knock. He gave the wooden barrier three, solid knocks and in a matter of seconds, the man inside swung it open with an anxious, alarming scowl on his face.

"_What?_" he grouched to his unexpected guest, but he soon realized that it was a now startled Marth. The expression on the young man's face—and the fact that it was indeed Marth and not someone else—is what melted the hardened scowl of the mercenary's lips.

"Uhh... Did I come at a bad time?"

Ike sighed, raking fingers through his coarse hair, "_Ahhm_... no. Sorry... 'bout that."

"It's okay..." said the prince with a lovely smile, "...may I come in?"

"Yeah, sure."

Marth stepped through the widened door, leaping onto Ike's unmade, bouncy bed.

"I'm surprised that you're up this early, Ike. Usually you're still asleep around this time on an off-day!"

The distraught swordsman ignored the prince's clever analysis. He was far too busy searching his room for something of more value and interest to him. Marth took note of this uneasy, edginess from his friend and peered around his surroundings...

Ike's dorm was a complete catastrophe, as if someone barged into his room with a very powerful leaf blower, set it on full power, and aimed it in whichever direction they wished—which seemed to be just about every direction. After some minutes of watching the mercenary scramble around his dorm, it occurred to the young prince that he was in fact looking for something. But... what?

"_Dammit, dammit!_ Where could I have put it?!" Ike hissed.

"Missing something...?"

The man safely set down his full laundry basket, "...Yeah. Link's ring. I can't find Link's ring. I know he gave it back to me. I just can't remember what I did with it..."

_Ahh... that makes sense. _

_The ring..._

Ike continued to scavenge and rant about his dorm in search of the sentimental band, Marth kindly lending a helping hand. While the searched, the monarch would ask him helpful question to somewhat sharpen his memory, thus making it less difficult to recall where he could've possibly misplaced the ring.

"Where did you last have it?"

"I last had it the day he gave it to me. And then I guess I put it in my pocket..."

"Did you look in the pockets of your uniforms and pants?"

"That's what I've been doing for the past hour! And it's not there...!"

Ike slammed down a wad of trousers and pressed his tied arms against his chest.

"I spent all that goddamn money just to lose that goddamn ring. What a waste..."

"...D-Don't fret, Ike! It'll turn up somewhere..." consoled the blushing prince, sincerely rubbing his right shoulder, "...in the meantime. I'm sure you've been up all morning looking for it, why don't you take a break? Wanna go shopping at the mall nearby with me? I found this _super-cute_ top in the paper and—"

"—No. I have something planned for this morning already," Ike stated in a matter-of-factly tone. Prince Marth blinked, being somewhat jolted by the man's cold response.

"_Oh..._ Do you mind sharing with me what—?"

"—_I'm going to get Link back_. I've realized that the more time he's spending with that... that—_Pit_—the closer they're becoming, and that's the last thing I want happening. Pit knows what he's doing—he knows it! _Making the moves on Link_... and Link's totally oblivious to it!"

Ike hammered the side of his fist onto his closed armoire, when almost instantly, a micro-sized, shiny object flew out and landed right between Marth's pretzel-crossed legs. The astonished prince blinked as his blush reappeared.

"Was that the ring?!" Ike boomed with anxiousness. Marth peered down onto the glinting object, frowning as he picked it out of his lap.

"Yeah—"

"—_Lemme see it_," the tall man commanded more than requested, snatching it from the monarch's slender fingers. He blew on it numerous times, especially the priceless jewel that lie in the middle, and rubbed it down with the cloth of his forest-green shirt until it shined like new.

"_Perfect._ Perfect, perfect."

Prince Marth's head sank low... and so did his once cheerful spirits...

_Ike... why must you try so hard? _

_Why can't you see that I'm here for you? _

_That I want you? That I love you...?_

_I know that losing Link has devastated you, and patiently do I wait for you to accept this harsh reality... _

_...but I fear the day will never come. _

_Why?_

_Badly_ was how much the prince wish to speak his mind, his heart...

"_Ike_—"

"—Well I'll see you later, Marth. Thanks for helping... Oh. I hope you find the top or pants or whatever it is you're lookin' for."

But without allowing the young noble to give a reply, Ike rudely—though he didn't know that he was being rude—walked out of his dorm, leaving Marth's baby-blues to down in their own, yielding tears.

xXx

_Afternoon..._

"_...You honestly think—after all you've put me through—that I would take you back?"_

"_...I deserve to be treated so much better; I deserve to be with someone who truly loves me, respects me, and appreciates me and all that I do..."_

"_Perhaps you can be with Marth, now. After all, that's what you wanted, right?"_

"_I__ don't__ want you back. I __don't__ want to give you a second chance..."_

...

Ike felt like a vegetable.

Heck.

He was a vegetable. His vegetable of choice?

A carrot. He was a carrot. Tall like a carrot, too.

But the idea was that he was nothing.

Numb... Cold... Nothing.

He was nothing.

He could feel nothing...

...Only numbness and excruciating pain within his decaying heart.

He didn't have breakfast that morning. He didn't mind, either...

...He wasn't hungry.

And carrots don't have mouths.

Unlike him, some of the Smashers were outside playing in the snow and tossing snowballs back and forth to one another. You know, having fun.

Ike didn't want to have fun. He wasn't interested in fun.

He was only interested in locking himself up in his dorm, staring blankly at his former boyfriend's band, painful memories bobbing at the surface like apples from the vault in the foremost distant region in his mind...

Their first kiss... Tasting Link's sweet, innocent tongue.

Seeing his body for the first time... and watching it quake at his touch.

Watching him blush and get tongue-tied when he had nothing to comeback at him with.

Lying awake with him for hours on end at night... watching him fall asleep... gazing into his deep, sapphire gems...

Now such memories were made useless; Ike could not dispose of them.

Part of him didn't want to, but the other could not seem to let them go. They would forever continue to haunt him and remind him of what he'd done, what he'd caused... and so on and so forth. They were... daily reminders, if you will... Daily reminders of what he could've done right and what he could've changed...

Ike—lying on his back—stared at the ceiling, banishing one by one the flooding memories associated with Link. The upcoming days for the indigo-haired mercenary foretold ominous skies and imminent, endless nights of misery, but this was nothing new to him...

_Say..._ what would he and Link be doing now if they were still a close-knit couple on this lovely, winter Saturday...?

Link presumably would've shaken Ike right out of his dormant state with the heavenly, lovely scent of a specially-prepared breakfast.

Ike could picture it vividly: He had buttered French toast, powdered sugar drizzled atop of both slices on is tray... A small, glass pitcher of maple syrup on the side... A nice-sized bowl of sliced peaches swam in a light corn syrup... As many thin pieces of honeyed ham as Ike desired sizzled on one plate... Sunny side-up eggs staring him in the face—the salt and pepper shakers adjacent to his main plate—and a big glass of fancy, mango-orange juice.

Ike would've eaten all that was on his tray, thanked his lover with a genuine kiss, Link doing away with all his trash and scraps.

Since it was literally raining snow bunnies, the blonde would've probably suggested to remain inside—cold weather not being his most favored. It would be another one of their "lazy day" Saturdays. Ones where the pair of lovebirds did absolutely nothing but eat, sleep and bask in one another's company. If he was in the mood for giving one, maybe the archer would've treated him to a thorough back massage. Come to think of it, Ike could sure use one of those. Over the past three days he'd collected quite the substantial amount of knots nestled about his neck area and the lower region of his back...

Oh what Ike would do to have those soft, sweet hands caress his tired muscles... or to feel those wet, sneaky lips pecking kisses on his shoulders as he did his job, tickling his boyfriend's bare, milky skin. Occasionally, as Link would work out the pestering knots in his lover's shoulders, he'd lightly murmur the sweetest of things in his ears... and it became rather difficult determining if he was massaging him or caressing him... Link could be a little tease.

Ike would almost never allow Link to finish his massage, for hearing those sugary things coming from a naturally-sweet person never failed to rile him up. He'd topple over his little lover, tease him at how cute his unmistakable yelp was—because whenever Ike towered over him, an impulsive, stimulating cry would always find some way to escape—and engage in a slow, lash-fluttering, affectionate kiss.

Groping and biting, moaning and grasping... lying beside each other... Ike plaguing Link at how "cute" his yelp was and not letting him live it down... Link getting angry and repetitively hitting him with a pillow... then Ike would apologize and instead tell his blonde how much he loved him... and all Link could do in return was smile and chortle, demanding more of his boyfriend's lips...

Whilst everyone else was having their supper in the mansion's café, around dinnertime, Link would tie his green apron about his frame and set to work in the kitchen to being preparing a delicious feast for he and his lover to share in a romantic and intimate atmosphere. And boy, once done with dinner, Ike couldn't wait for the dessert.

It was always a challenge figuring out what sweet, savory dish his love was fixing for them both. It took the blonde nearly an hour to make the gourmet treat—anything less than that and they could expect to spend the night with their faces in the toilet bowl—but in most cases, Ike wasn't capable of waiting that long.

Dessert for that Saturday night would be a delectable Link served on a silver platter. And as always, Ike ate _everything_ on his plate.

The mercenary smiled at the recent memories... a perfect example of a typical weekend day for the two men. But once recalling it, Ike was swept over by a vortex of intense jealousy.

Now _Pit_ was getting that star treatment... He was now the one receiving his five-star massages... his five-star evening meals, and his five-star "desserts". Pit was getting all that originally belonged to him and he didn't even know it, the lucky, angelic bastard. It angered him picturing the brunet waking up to a mouth-watering tray of delight, Link sitting by his bed side spooning the food into his mouth with a big, big smile on his lips. It angered him imagining Link's hands rubbing all over his scrawny backside and the content look on the angel's face as those hands slowly took him back to heaven. And it definitely filled the mercenary with invigorating rage at the thought of the two exchanging glances of entranced passion and heavy kisses... which led to many other, inevitable things.

Link was, without a doubt, _way _too much man for him.

_Knock, knock-knock, knock, knock~!_

"_Whaaat?"_

As predicted by the rhythmic knock, Marth came bouncing through the traveler's entrance door, several bags—each imprinted with a different store name—dangling from his arms, a drink of some sort in his left hand. Did he not say that he only wanted to purchase one blouse? Why did he come back with more than one bag? Ike couldn't recollect what he said he wanted to buy, because earlier that day he was thinking of various ways he could ask Link back into his life... only to get dumped.

"Hi there! I was looking everywhere for you outside! It seems like everybody in the mansion's out and about... Hmm... Ah! Wanna see my new blouse?!"

Ike didn't really respond to the prince's question. In truth, he could care less about Marth's shirt. Why should it concern him?

Despite it all, Prince Marth dug through a yellow bag and revealed a beige, cream-colored V-neck vest and a white, collared dress shirt to wear underneath it. It was a sharp-looking shirt... anyone who slipped it on could raise their IQ by ten points.

"Isn't it sexy? I just _had_ to have it..."

Ike—turned on one side where he did not face his royal pal—seemed to have no interest in his new article of clothing, but he did his best to sound partially convincing.

"...Sure."

Marth bit his lips...

"Um... I-I got you one, too."

The generous blushing prince pulled out the mercenary's matching shirt, his vest being a velvety-red shade.

"If it's too large just tell me and I'll take it back and get you a new one. It's supposed to be nice and snug... Do you like the color? They didn't have black—the color I would've gotten if they hadn't run out of it—and so I went with this dark-red shade... it looks like it suits you."

Ike did not budge. Marth wasn't sure if he was even breathing, let alone conscious.

_I sense that something is wrong... _

_I wonder how it went with Link._

"Ike...? Are you alright—?"

"—No, Marth. _No._ I'm not alright. Okay? I'm just... _I'm not alright_."

Ike sluggishly pulled himself up, looking to his window... Prince Marth sat at the side of him.

"..._What happened?_"

"...You don't remember? This morning... I asked Link if... if he would, you know, give me a second chance an'... _No_. He said no. It's over... _and he won_."

_...And by "he" I assume that he's talking about Pit._

_Really, Ike... what different outcome did you expect?_

"Oh... I... I'm sorry, Ike. Really..."

Marth sighed away the lonely silence, following the white crystals with his eyes as they angelically floated their way to the ground.

"It's so beautiful outside... It's like heaven's come to Earth."

The younger male sharply inhaled, grasping the indigo-haired man's arm, "We should go outside! Just you and I! We'll go through the back doors so no one will see us and call us mean names! We could throw snowballs and make snow angels and—"

"—No."

Marth flinched at the stern response.

"Well... why not? It's beautiful! W-We don't get snow like this every year—"

"—_I just don't want to, alright?!_" Ike grunted with an attitude, violently snatching his arm from the noble. The noble scrunched his thin eyebrows together, crossing his arms.

"So you just want to stay up and rot in your dorm all day?! You don't even want to _try_ and get some fresh air?!"

"'_Fresh air'?!_ Marth! Link just fucking broke up with me—!"

"—But that does not give you license to be a _bitch_ to everyone who's trying to help you!"

Ike launched himself from his mattress and nearly stabbed himself with his own finger as he pressed it into his chest.

"I'm being a bitch...? I have every damn right to be a bitch! Link left me for that... that _damned_ demon in disguise and you expect me to be all unicorns and rainbows about it?! You honestly expect me to laugh and giggle and shit happiness?!

I loved Link! Unconditionally! It was a love unlike any other! And now he's gone!! That blonde, sweet man is out of my reach and I'm never going to get him back! You know how special he is! Tell me, when am I going to cross fates with an equally beautiful individual like him a second time? Never! That's when! I'll never get him back, Marth!"

Ike emitted growls of frustration through his grinding, white teeth, roughly combing his fingers through his ragged curls as he took his seat again, but this time a foot of space severed the two from sitting close together.

Marth crossed his legs, resisting the impulse to comfort the man he loved with warm embraces, but then there was this uncomfortable feeling that surfaced, preventing him... The statement that he made... he talked about how "unconditional" their love was... Wasn't his love unconditional, too? How was theirs any different? Didn't Ike once claim that he loved the both of them the same...? Or... perhaps Marth refused to see himself as only a fuck buddy for the mercenary, ready to "have a good time" whenever and wherever he wanted. Either way, Marth was still unsure of how Ike presently felt about him...

"This could've been avoided—all of this_," _Ike spat_, "_It could've been stopped. I_... I should've never—_"

"—'Never' what?" inquisitively questioned the interested prince, his hands gripping tightly onto his petite hips.

Ike's lashes flickered.

_...Oh shit. _

_I said that out loud?_

"You should've never _slept _with me...? _Is that it?_"

He paused for his answer, but did not receive one from the man whose head remained bowed. He did not mean to voice his opinion, but the prince heard, and it didn't take a genius to figure out what he was going to finish with if Marth hadn't beaten him to it. Marth tightly pursed his lips, blinking frequently...

"_Well_... if that's how you really feel... It's fine with me. I'll just... get going, then. I'm sorry for fucking up everything for you," muttered the hurt, royal one, hastily gathering his shopping bags and beverage, his sight beginning to fail as his orbs dared to leak moisture...

"Marth, _I wasn't going to say that_—"

"—_Yes you were_—"

"—No! I wasn't!"

The prince strode to the traveler's door, almost stumbling over...

"Marth...? Please don't walk away..."

Ike latched onto his sweet wrist desperately, but the young man—like Ike had done to him—yanked away.

This was the _last_ person that cared for him. He couldn't lose him, too...

...Not now.

"Marth, please. Listen... I swear to you, I _wasn't _going to say anything like that—"

"—After all I've given you... After all I've done for you... When everyone else turned their backs on you, I was the only one who remained—the one who stood by you and defended you...

...the one who loved you. But I guess my love wasn't 'unconditional' like Link's. My love wasn't _special_ like Link's...

...My love was and still remains to be one-sided. But hey, if that's how you truly, truly feel—if those are your sincerest of feelings—fine. _Fine_. Who am I to be angry with that?"

Marth turned to leave, but stopped, and turned on his heel.

"Oh, and for the record, you and Link were broken up the very minute he found us on the bed. So don't start pulling this 'woe is me' crap now. Heh, and speaking of beds, you've already made yours, and now you're going to lay in it. One way or another."

Prince Marth opened the door...

"You're welcome for the shirt, fuck buddy. Machine wash cold."

_**Slam.**_

xXx

Marth, sniffling, hung up his blouses and trousers in his closet and put away the little trinkets that he'd purchased... He folded his department bags and placed them into a teeny compartment in his closet—he'd find another use for them later,_ if_ he remembered where he'd put them.

Once everything was stashed away, he quietly crawled onto his bed and then gazed upon his pathetic reflection with such intensity he saw the lengthy, golden mirror jiggle from the nail it suspended from... He assumed that his reflected self must've physically looked pathetic, because that's what he felt inside...

Piteous.

Pathetic.

Dismal.

It doesn't make the slightest difference as to whichever adjective you choose... they all harbor the very same feelings.

The tears seeping from his tear ducts remained bound to his bottom eyelid, and they would continue to dwell there and build upon one another until given an order by the bluenette, who debated against his heightened emotions...

_I will not cry,_ he told himself, _I will not cry_,_ I will not cry._

We all have to blink at some point. And unluckily for Marth, the jig was up. He finally blank, two clear drops of water splashing onto either thigh. Tears could still roll down your cheeks, but if you appear calm and expressionless, would others consider you crying? In this predicament, Marth was not bawling hysterically, and that's why those twin droplets meant nothing.

Prince Marth, the watery film from his eyes now removed, took a first look at himself in the mirror.

Now that—if he wanted to keep up his "tough guy" persona—was a wrong move.

Taking one glance at that silver mirror—at the indeed pathetic, broken-down, degraded being who at a point in time held himself so high—is where he _steadily_ lost it.

Prince Marth grabbed at his cheeks as if he were going to rip the very skin off his crumply face with his nails. He pulled every part of his body into himself, performing the famous duck-and-cover position. The poor, little prince muffled his cries in that tiny, cramped hot space between his lap and stomach, gently rocking himself back and forth...

...Just like Roy would've done... just like he always had done.

_A plaything?! That is all I was to him?!_

_An extra hole?!_

_A whore on the side to use at his disposal?!_

_...I should've expected it._

_I should've expected it from the very beginning..._

_...But I didn't care..._

_...I wanted love..._

_...And I thought I found it. _

The noble's chin rested on his knees emerging from his human ball as he looked on at his sniveling self...

"_Look at what he's reduced you to... You're Prince Marth Lowell, are you not? Show some pride and respect towards your name! A Lowell gives power to no man, right?!"_

The young male blinked.

You could tell he was out of it. He could've swore up, down, left and right that he just heard Roy murmur that to him. He could! He felt his lips brushing the shell of his ear... his hot, sweet breath falling to his shoulders... his arms... his cementing arms keeping him together as he shatter into the ground...

...He was there... in spirit.

Roy was always with him... always looking out for him... always, always.

"_You shouldn't cry... A face such as your would be a shame to spoil."_

Marth swiped the little snot away from his nose with his sleeve—something that you would never see him do. The prince bustled into his bathroom threw himself over his sink, twisted the crystal knob to the left and out poured a stream of cold water. He cupped his hands over the faucet and splashed the refreshing liquid onto his face... He kept splashing and splashing, doing away with his tears... with his old way of handling situations like these... with his self.

He scrubbed at his eyes with his fingers, too caught up in reinventing himself to fetch a few cotton pads. He scrubbed at his cheeks, his forehead, chin, nose... he scrubbed everything.

_Roy is right...!_

He glanced up and into the small mirror above the sink...

There he was.

The real Marth.

The bare-faced Marth.

The Marth who didn't shroud himself behind a cosmetic mask.

The Marth that Ike preferred.

The prince turned the knob to stop the water, reaching for a small towel on the right side of him to gently blot his face...

That was going to be the last time he had ever cried. It was a promise that he made to himself... that he owed himself.

He was tired of crying.

Marth cleared his area and trotted out of the bathroom, sitting on the edge of his bed while turning towards the mirror.

Now, let's start again.

A few minutes prior to his crying fit, Ike basically admitted that he'd regretted having sex with him. What was another way, a more effective solution, to coping with this news? And did he sincerely mean what he meant to say...?

_...Ike is going through a tough time right now. _

_I know it's tough. I know his pain. The emotions, the feelings, the thoughts... I can recognize all of it._

_And attitude or not... Ike needs someone._

_And... I am that someone... the only one that can help him..._

_...That will help him._

xXx

Ike took Marth's advice.

It wouldn't hurt to get out a little, and he had to emit this negative energy somehow.

Before taking so much as a foot out of his safe haven, the mercenary made sure that he did not forget to bring Ragnell with him. He figured while he'd be outside he could get some minutes of training in for tomorrow. He was getting a little rusty in some areas of his fighting style... and he could not afford for that to happen right now. With the problems he had to confront, he could at least hold onto his strength.

For about twenty minutes straight, Ike practiced his swings with his blessed sword on a few, forgiving oak trees in the forestry a couple acres away from the rear of the manor. And to make sure he used maximum strength, he imagined that each tree he encountered was a life-sized, immobile Pit... who was just a bit taller and a few inches wider. So in a way, he was unleashing his wrath upon him... and yes, he was merciless. Ike whacked at the tree like a heavily-caffeinated lumberjack, going so far as to bark profanity to it. Ragnell wasn't his only weapon. His hands and feet became useful instruments, too.

He didn't let anger consume him for too long. He came to the realization that he was going a little too far when he'd accidentally uprooted one from its stable ground.

Surely everyone heard the ear-splitting thud.

Twenty minutes of marking up—and chopping down—trees eventually exhausted the swordsman physically. He parked himself on a lonely stump nearby to regulate his breathing and take in the winter scenery.

Tall, bare, omniscient, watchful trees surrounded him... They bore not one leaf to liven their appearance, but they were still beautiful.

How was that...?

It was another one of those mystical wonders. A magnificent, winter wonderland...

Ike's pink ears caught the sweet sounds of blurry flakes whistling a ghostly tune... almost as if they were telling him the very secrets of this magical world.

Marth was right about one thing... Heaven has come to Earth.

Ike lied.

He tried to reassure the prince that he was not going to say that he'd wished he'd slept with him if given the chance to finish... but that was exactly what he meant to say, the prince simply beat him to it. Confessing something like that unintentionally and aloud was like throwing a rock at a glass window... But Ike didn't wholeheartedly mean it! So many things were going through in his mind; he'd just lost the man he loved. Couldn't he get a break?

Back then he knew the consequences of cheating on Link—with his close and much-loved friend much less—but on that starry night, he forcefully tossed all of them into the hot, whirling wind created between him and the hazy-eyed prince without a care in the world.

Marth was willing. Ike was willing. And there was a nice, big, accessible bed... a deadly equation for any man, especially those already in a relationship.

Because look where it got him.

Ike put his head in his hands, when, unexpectedly, he noted a little glint in the corner of his blue eyes. The lonely object rest atop of a lump of fresh snow, a few feet away from the tree stump he sat on.

He recognized it immediately and almost had a panic attack.

It was Link's ring!

And wasn't he supposed to drop that off to him when he attempted to win him over?!

How could he have forgotten?!

Maybe it was Pit's sudden involvement in his personal relationship that knocked him off track. Ike rushed to his precious band, blowing upon it like he'd done earlier. He feared if he kept it much longer he would lose it for good.

He'd forgotten to give Link his ring this one time, but he wasn't going to forget this time.

Nothing could stop him.

xXx

Discreetly, the tall mercenary tiptoed back to his former lover's dorm. He didn't want to stir up another ruckus or interrupt their little fellowship time, and so he came and did exactly what he planned to do. Give Link his ring and be on his way. His folded note card concealed the priceless ring like an envelope. Praying not to be noticed, he easily slipped the two items underneath his door. By the happy, content giggles and laughter coming from the inhabitants of the blonde's dorm, it had, most likely, gone unnoticed.

"_Pit! No fair! You peeked!_"

Ike heard Ness hollered—or was it Toon Link?—smiling at the squeaky voice. Were they playing Hide-and-Seek...?

_It sounds like they are having fun..._

Yes. They were having fun.

Everyone was having fun except him.

And it hurt him to know that some other man was putting a smile on Link's gorgeous face. That some other man was making him shriek with laughter, the bridge of his nose having more crinkles than a crinkle fry. That some other man made his round eyes shine like the moon, like the burning stars in the heavens above...

It hurt Ike.

It hurt him exceedingly; it would continue to hurt him for as long as they're apart.

xXx

Prince Marth summoned forth all the compassion he had buried in the depths of his soul. He put to rest the unsettled emotions that did not agree with his decision.

And that decision was to set aside all that Ike's ever said and done to him that either hurt him or weakened him, and encompass his weeping heart with comfort and love.

Marth didn't even knock on his door once he arrived. He invited himself inside.

Ike—surprised at this unanticipated visit—shot up straight in his bed.

_M-Marth...?!_

Didn't he hate him? Or better yet, should he hate him? Personally, if faced with the situation, the traveler would probably almost never forgive someone who'd regretted sharing his body, his heart, his feelings... things that were so precious to him.

Shouldn't he be angry with him? Shouldn't he be smothered under his bed sheets, suckling his thumb while his eye sockets poured endless streams of water?

Why was he here?! What did he come for?!

Ike heedfully observed him with very much intensity; presently, the prince waltzed silently about his dorm, his hands intertwined behind his back, his chin held high, a gentle sparkle in his blue eyes... He carried a different aura—appeal—about himself... one that honestly confused the taller man...

Was this another one of his frequent persona changes?

Marth turned so that Ike's eyes would be glued to his back. With his eyes now tightly closed shut, he contemplated on where he should start...

It was difficult for him, whether the oter was knowledgeable of it or not.

He didn't have to do this.

He could go on with his life, knowing that he'd completely wasted nearly a year with the man that brought him suffering and learn from the mistakes he's made... or he could choose a much better option. And that was to help that man who—although he may not externally show it—needed his help.

Because that's what good friends do.

"...I, too, have lost someone that I loved very dearly," the prince powerfully stated, kicking off the speech that he'd pieced together hours prior to his pit stop to the traveler's domain. Ike lifted his thin eye brows, hungry to hear more and desperate to figure out the well-hidden behind his unnatural visitation.

Marth began fussing with his nails, finding anything that he could fo that would give him a liable excuse not to look the other in his eyes. Those eyes... he would not allow them to suck him in again like they'd done in the past.

"You know... Roy. The guy I told you about some months ago. I loved him... very, very much. And... as you already know... he... ran away one day. I do not really know all of the details; I think I'd be better off not knowing them. But I hypothesize that things got too rocky for him... for the both of us. And so he split... leaving me here.

Alone.

Or that's how I felt... I felt alone. I felt like no one else cared but me. That was not true. Link cared, because he was Roy's friend as well. And he was also mine. He was there consistently for me. Through everything. Sunup to sundown; he was there whenever I needed him.

And he is the sweetest, most nurturing being... 'Well gee, Marth. Why are you telling me all this?'

For your information—and I will keep this as short and as sweet as possible—"

The young man inhaled and called upon the guts that he would eed to lock vision with the mercenary. His eyes held nothing but absolute affirmation.

"I stand before you not as a lover or even anything remotely related to that. But as a friend... as a comforter. I know your pain. I know how you hurt, where you hurt. I've been there. I know it all. And those thoughts, those feelings... They're not the best things in the world to experience. But despite the circumstances, despite whose fault it was, everyone deserves someone who will support them wholly. Someone who will be there twenty-four hours... seven days a week.

Just like Link was for me. And I know the positive effect that it had on me... it felt really good having someone there to care for me while experiencing such heartache. Now I see that you're hurting over a slightly different matter, but our predicaments are parallel to each other in several ways.

And so, like any other kind, empathetic person would do for their comrade or maybe even a complete stranger who was in a distressing position in their lives, I will be there for you...

In spite of what has been said between us and what has been done.

Whenever, wherever. You just say that word and I'll be right where you need me to be."

Ike sat still for a few moments, his eyes becoming itchy with dryness due to the lack of blinking. Marth predicted a reaction similar to that...

Well, his job was done here. He'd gotten his point across hopefully and all that was left to do was skedaddle right on out of there like nothing ever happened.

"So... I suppose I shall see you tomorrow morning. Have a nice evening—"

"—Marth?" Ike croaked.

The prince turned to leave, but instantaneously froze in mid-stride.

Respectfully, he looked his fellow comrade into the very pupils of his eyes, a warm smile exhibited on his thin and rosy lips.

"Yes?"

Ike swallowed.

He was speechless. It takes a special type of person to apologize after what he'd been coldly told. It takes a strong person... a willing person. And Marth was willing and forgiving enough to give him the time of day and care about his feelings...

...and care about him.

It was sweet of him. Very sweet... and compassionate.

The mercenary, with a humble, beating heart, grinned his lips away.

"Thank you. Thank you for your concern."

Prince Marth nodded, "You're welcome, Ike—"

"—And I'm sorry for what I said this morning. I wasn't myself."

Marth bobbed his head vertically... but the question still remained. Did he mean what he said?

An apology was good enough for the prince though.

"It's alright—"

"—And Marth?"

"...Yes?"

Ike's handsome smile grew two, full sizes...

"The shirt fits fine. I love it... Thanks."

And this statement brought on a few chortles from the young monarch.

"You're very welcome," he replied.

The mercenary left it at that, the prince finally free to leave his drafty dorm. Ike's smile did not leave him once Marth had disappeared behind his door, however. It lingered for some time as he went into deep thought about what could've motivated this change upon the young man. Whatever it was, Ike was surely thankful for the sudden, internal change. It'd saved him from more remorse and anxiety... and from losing a close, passionate friend.

xXx

"Pit?" peeped little Lucas, comforted by a nice and terribly cozy blanket that nuzzled at his chin. The caretaking angel thoughtfully smiled at the drowsy, blonde boy who nestled in his bed.

"Yes, Lucas?"

"_Um... I had... a lot of fun with Link and the others today_."

"_Ah..._ you did, didn't you?"

The little one blushed a rosy red, hiding his embarrassing expression beneath his protective comforter.

"Yeah..."

Pit snickered warmly at this.

"Heh. I did, too, Lucas. We all had fun. Just think about all the fun that we'll have tomorrow!"

Lucas giggled underneath his blanket as a tender hand ruffled his neat, blonde hair. He shifted onto his side, preparing himself for a lengthy rest.

"_Goodnight, Lucas_."

"_Goodnight, Pit..._"

The brunet pat the boy's small back, pulled the dangling cord on the lamp that rested on the blue nightstand. He switched off the light, leaving it up to the moon to provide little Lucas all the natural illumination would need for an easy, comfortable sleep...

_Outside..._

Link had finished tucking away his batch of kids early, and so he waited patiently for the angel to emerge from Lucas's dorm. As he mindlessly tapped his jittery foot on the marble floor, his thumbs fiddled nervously with the sharp, pointed edges of a small, white card.

Ike's small, white card, which read...

_Link,_

_Keep this._

_-Ike_

The gleaming ring was pocketed safely in the front pocket of his green apron which, yes, he still was wearing.

"_Keep this"...?_

"And that's the last one... We're officially kid-free!"

Link jumped at the angel's easy voice, swiftly stowing away his card.

"Oh—Um. He's asleep already?"

Pit approached the Hyrulean, noticing his awkwardness, "Yeah, he's pretty tired. He said he had so much fun today."

A sincere smile stretched its way onto the blonde one's plump, pink petals.

"I'm sure he did."

Now usually this was then the two would go their separate ways, say a few goodbye's, but in truth, Link also had a swell time with the angel and the tight band of children that day, and to have a few moments alone with his angelic friend would greatly benefit him... He wanted someone to talk to.

The two quietly traveled back to Link's place to enjoy a light cup of warm tea and a few, hearty laughs... but along the way, the conversation entered serious territory, which was predictable.

Link had a couple questions that he'd like answered.

"_So uh_... What did you and Ike talk about earlier?" asked Link, slowly tracing the tip of his index finger about the edges of his green mug. Pit gulped what was left of the sweet, lemon brew in his small cup, thinking of many ways to reply his beloved's inquiry by telling the teeniest white lie possible.

"Um... Well, you know... he felt bad about what he'd done to you, but he still does not understand why you would not take him back. So I simply told him that his actions were wrong and... maybe next time he'll be more... attentive of his decision-making."

Link chuckled lightly...

"_Hmm_... 'next time'."

Pit nodded...

_...But hopefully, there will not be a next time._

"The ring... He gave it back to me. As you and I were leaving to put the kids to bed, Ness found it near the corner of the door sort of sandwiched between a tiny card."

Question marks pranced about the angel's noggin.

"Ike did? What did it say...?"

"'Keep this'. The card said, 'Keep this'..."

Link set down his mug, dug around in his front apron pocket and revealed his beautiful ring. He thought back to the dinner date he had with Ike on that lovely, calm night...

"I... I finally realize what those words mean.

This ring... when Ike gave me this ring... he also gave me this promise. This promise... that he'd always love me... even if we're not together. That he's always loved me... That he takes the blame for everything... Or something like that, I don't remember it all off the very top of my head. But... what gets me is... he knew that this was going to happen. He knew the day would come. And so he went out, spent all of this money at a beautiful, French restaurant, said the most 'I love you's he's ever said in the history of our relationship, and bought me this nice, little ring... just to remind me of those promises...

It almost makes me wonder... why? If he loved me so much... then why? Why do it? Why risk it?"

Pit gaped at the band...

"Ike has his reasons... maybe they weren't very smart ones... but he seems very regretful. Obviously, because he still loves you."

"...Do you think I made the right choice? I-I looked into his eyes... He... he said he was _sorry_ and—"

"—Link!! Listen to yourself! You're honestly asking if you should've given the man that you've faithfully devoted a year of your love and trust to and who's slept around with your best friend for months on end a second chance!"

Pit's purple orbs nearly popped out of his head bungee-jump style as he thrust Link from whatever world he was skipping about in and back into reality with his emotion-filled words. The blonde—ashamed—turned away from his brunet friend...

"_Yeah... You're right. It was a... a stupid question_."

Afterwards, they swam in silence, Pit beginning to feel a terrible for the harsh volume he used to express his beliefs. He could identify Link's uneasiness by his humbled posture...

"...I'm sorry for raising my voice."

_But you're worth more than that, Link._

"No. It's okay."

Link's gentle hands continued their twiddling with the shiny, beautiful jewelry meaninglessly. Pit couldn't help but look on in helplessness...

"I'll find a way to get over this... Forgiven I have already done—I've forgiven them both. But hurdling this will not be an easy task for me."

"And they say time heals all wounds. Perhaps this will prove to be true, but just think of it as a new beginning in your life."

Glistening with reflected light, Link peered up and over his slouching shoulders and fixed his blue wheels upon the angelic being, beaming with admiration. Pit was afraid of keeping still for too long. Link might've seen his heart frantically beating from beneath his shirt...

"'A new beginning'... That's what you call it?"

Pit rummaged his fingers through his thick hair, his cheeks fried.

"_Yeah_... Cheesy, huh?"

"No. I like it... Thank you for your kind words. They mean a lot."

The brunet grinned sheepishly, swallowing as he slowly brought his cup to his lips.

"You're welcome! Any time!"

But he remembered that it was virtually empty—Link, too, sensed this.

"...Would you like some more tea?"

"_Please?_ If it's not too much of a hassle...!"

"It would be my pleasure."

Pit sat back and watched the man he loved take his mug and stride to the kitchen for his second helping, Link working his mystical haze about him as he did so.

Maybe that's why Pit's eyes would not remove themselves from his body...

_Goddess... I pray that I, too, will be given the privilege to embark on this new beginning by his side..._

_As his support, as a faithful friend..._

_As... As the man that he wants me to be..._

"Lemon tea?" Link asked, carefully quartering a ripened lemon.

"Yes, please."

_...I will be his anything, if he is willing to be my everything._

* * *

Mission accomplished.

_Finally. _

Now Ike's got Marth and Link's got Pit. All is well, right? _Keke_... we'll see.

School is OVER -celebrates- I'm so happy~ Leaves me extra time to play and write :D

_Weeeellllll..._ -cracks knuckles-

_**Review time**__—_Oh. If this is you:"_FTW?_ HOKAGE! I DIDN'T GET A REVIEW REPLY!!" Well, either **A)** I had already replied yours via the little "Instant-Reply" thingy that I _rarely _use, or **B)** I simply forgot to copy/paste your penname as I went over them. But again, who honestly cares what I have to say, anyway...?

So let's get on with it!

**Ma'at's Apprentice:** I am happy that you take interest in it! A celebration, I say! –hands a chocolate chip cookie-

**Sparky:** Ahh, I knew the saying went something like that. Thanks Pika-san! (Pika: Sparkly, shiny... it's Japanese. You probably already know that.) Pssh. Speaking of Japanese. My Japanese is horrible. I only know how to say "My name is..." and "I just ate an apple/I ate an apple". "_Ringo o tabemashita." _xDI'm somewhat good at French. Stupid verb conjugation. And English. I love English. Just not English Lit. That's where I cross the line. Thanks for your kind words and thoughts, Pika-san~ -gives m&m cookie-

**Sachiko V:** Ahh... Exams. Unnecessary evils. Yes. Shorts and an apron~ That's like... fan service right there. Pit's a lucky duck. x3 The little guy has no idea what he's getting into. And yes, he is strangely brave! One minute Pit's baking cookies and the next he's getting ready to knock Ike's block off! Even I don't understand it! I don't know whose side I'm on either... so don't feel alone. I love Ike and I want him and Link to get back together and be happy and have babies but then... Link deserves better. GAH. _Headaaaache..._

**fireball037:** Ah~ Well, fireball-san, here it is! The latest chapter... I don't know when the next one will be uploaded, though. 'Tis a mystery... Thanks for your review, too!! –gives sugar cookie-

**Moogle Empress:** I'm doing fine! However, being attacked by bees isn't all that pleasant... Dx YAY. I'm glad that you decided to review, then! I'm angry with Ike, too, but still... WAAH. Ike, WHY?! I try to make the PitxLink scenes as sugary as possible. Without totally overdoing it, of course. Motherly Pit... he needs to have kids of his own. Um... I'm not so sure what moogles are. They sound like pleasant creatures, but they also sound like they're an unpleasant sight when angry. Attacking Ike with moogles would probably be a most traumatizing death... Thank you for your review! A cookie... –hands chocolate-peanut butter cookie-

**Aburame 3j:** Thank you, Aburame-san~! _I do my best..._ –gives cookie- Gracias for the review. xD

**riceandXDs:** Wow. You don't know how shocked I was to find this review sitting in my inbox. Like... no idea. Really. I had to CAREFULLY read over every single word xD You really used up all the little character space thingies?! I feel honored to have such a reviewer lD Oh ho ho, I FAIL at French. So complicated! Yet so beautiful. I try my best to understand it, though. Yep, incessantly wordy is just how I like it. But I try to make it make sense, you know? I could write a really wordy sentence and you all would be like, "What the fuck does that mean?" xD Italics are my best friend. I lurve that little "I" button. They're captivating, aren't they? My personality? Urm... I'm more of the quiet type. That is... if I don't know you. But I like to joke around a lot, I'm extremely moody and sensitive, and I'm constantly thinking about miscellaneous things... (OMFG! What's your favorite Bleach Yaoi couple?!!?! I have like, a thousand... but my most favorite is RenjiXIchigo. They are the SEX. SERIUOSLY. I mean, they're meant to be with each other. The way they fight all the time, the many times where Ichigo has PURPOSELY fallen on top of Renji? My gods. It's so obvious. Kubo-sama really needs to put them together somehow.) Ah, you're referring to Burning With Questions! Haa! You thought I copied that sentence from the internet? Nope, I just thought it up in my own, twisted little mind. C: Thanks for the flattery xDDD I don't consider myself all high-and-mighty. If I had to be an animal, I'd pick a humble turtle. A _cute_, humble turtle, mind you. All turtles aren't cute. Have you seen snapping turtles? _Hideousness..._ The next Shakespeare? Ahh... So there is a god. xD Thank you sincerely, Gohan-chan~! I enjoyed every bit of your review. You deserve a jumbo—hell, not even a jumbo—a _colossal _cookie! –pulls up with a truckload of colossal chocolate chip cookies-

**Kufuffelupagus:** The last, little tidbit with Link and Ike in the last chapter was a little long, yes? _Sorry..._ –hides- Ahh... Shadow Dragon. It's a very good game, although when your comrades die... There's no re-spawn. There's no summoning back to life with the Dragon balls. They're DEAD (Marth is an exception, though. If Marth is killed you automatically have to start over from the beginning of the chapter). I'm still grieving over this one archer I had named Gordin... –sniffles- I get emotionally attached to characters in video games... Yeah. I definitely need to get out more. Um... Path of Radiance. You have a better chance of finding that online than in a store. Same with Radiant Dawn. Hmm... I have no idea what chapter this story is going to end on. I know how it's going to end, but I don't know how many chapters it would take for that end to come. I'll continue to put forth my best.

**Midnight - Queen of Link x Pit:** Yeah, I know. Ike's bastardness... But I think he gets the idea that he's not getting Link back any time soon. Poor guy. I feel guilty now. But now Pit and Link can have their alone time and snuggle each other to death~!

**lyudesshadow:** _For some reason ABC Check wants to capitalize your penname... Damn you, Microsoft Word 2007. _Heh. Anywho... Shadow Dragon is an awesome game, isn't? Marth looks like such a little man. l3 You got Platinum? Ugh... I dunno 'bout you, but I really dislike the Sinnoh region. The anime episodes, Dawn—who can just leap off a cliff—and Ash's manliness... I dislike all of it. I loved the Kanto, Johto and strangely the Hoenn region... but Sinnoh? Professor Rowan or whatever the hell his name is simply looks like a pervert on the sly, and Gary's hardly in any of the episodes! And I loves me some Gary... lD I love all the Pokémon games, though, regardless of what region. My favorite game so far is Emerald. I think the newer games are getting a lot easier... I beat Diamond and Pearl's Elite Four with all my Pokémon under level 50... lD Wow... I have no life. Blabbering on about Pokémon. _ANYWAY._ I snickered a bit, too, when Pit was hit with the swing. But he should've been more focused and not undressing Link with his eyes.

**Ernoma:** I hope this chapter didn't take too long to read. I write a lot. I believe my hand moves on its own. Maybe it's possessed. Hmm. I pray that the next chapter will be here shortly. Not even Hokage knows when she will update this... and that's the sad part about it.

**Lunar Guardian:** Yes. Multiple scenes are good. I'm not sure if this one had multiple scenes or not, but, eh... trying to get a point across. Ah. Lucky you. My birthday is in seven more months (Sweet Sixteen. Bleh). But I doubt I'd ask for Path of Radiance or Radiant Dawn. I'd probably ask for something like notebooks... I collect them :D My brother bought Metroid (Samus is so pretty~!!). He loves it. Lucky, little bastard. I have to _buy_ all of my games since I'm "of age". Ha... whatever, Dad.

**YaoiLover95:** I'm sure Ike is very sorry. He will be. That's for sure. (-squee- Your picture is really cute... MarthXRoy!) Thank you for your review~! Cookie? –hands Yaoi-san an m&m cookie-

**Flock o' Seagulls:** (My brother laughs whenever he sees your penname. He's really weird like me, so don't think too much of it xD) Gaaahh! I cannot seem to define hot fluff! Yes, I know fluff sex—which is an oxymoron in itself—but hot fluff~? xD Aww, I feel sorry for your older sister. Break ups are hard, yes? Ahh... the easy life of being single. xD Wow, you noted that quickly. Pit was bound to get hit by the swing, anyway. Link's just sexy. I love Twister! It's so much fun! Um... and Twilight Princess. I think I've given up on that game. I can't find that damned key! _Buu... _Dx I'll have my little brother find it...

**bitbyboth:** Yeeaahh, a lot of sad tidbits in the previous chapter. But I hope this chapter was taken as happy and upbeat! 'Cept for Ike's parts, of course. And yeah, this Ike isn't as likeable. He'll get better, take my word for it. But its gonna be some four or five chapters before that happens.

**The Mad Joker:** O.o A fight between Pit and Ike? That would be most enjoyable, but I'm afraid that little Pit would lose... he'd probably put up a good fight, though, being strengthened by the power of Link's love~!! _Hee hee_. (I need to stop watching Sailor Moon). Marth is a flirt. Dx And Roy's so sweet, the little, strawberry-haired man. Pit's a little perv deep down... I strongly believe that. He's just waiting to catch Link in another vulnerable position. –pats Pit's back- Your time will come soon, Pit. Just you wait.

**Gathouria:** I like Nana and Popo as brother and sister. They just seem that way to me. They're so cute, too~! Ahh. My two high school level classes were Algebra and English WHOSE exams I aced l3 But Geometry kicked my ass this year from beginning to the very end. My class average for that course was a 70-somethin'. My dad let it slide. He failed Geometry, too in high school. And besides looking exactly identical to each other, we have that genetic thing goin'—or something like that. What ever he sucked at, I currently suck at, too. Except English. I rock at English; he failed at it. I have to edit all of his work memos. Anyway, good luck with your RPG site! Not an easy thing to do, is it? I'd probably fail at one if I ever created one. But I'm far too busy nowadays...

**NanaeTsuki:** Nanae-sama! :D -glomps- Nana and Popo are too young to be lovers!! Or are they secretly like... 16 or 17? Like... Meta Knight is probably 20-something, but he's so small!! xD I don't know. But in my book, Ice Climbers will be brother and sister~ I just like them that way. Marth has unicorns on his cape. He's so cute... lD I hope that Ike will stop being such a mope and REALIZE that Marth is THERE FOR HIM. But then again, we can only hope right?

**xXAngelic ScarsXx:** ...Nicknames? I make up nicknames by what I see them as. C: I'm a weird individual, so you'll have to forgive me_... BAMBI._ I have not seen that movie in ages (and I love those little rabbits). Neither have I seen Peter Pan who oddly reminds me of Link in a way—minus the red hair, ability to fly and the peculiar vibe of pedophilia that he gives off (or maybe that's just me). Ike's very pissed. Poor, poor Ikey-wikey. All I can say is things will get better for all of them. And was there enough Royness in this chapter? He kinda snapped, too, yes?

**-XKajiX-:** The game Twister leads to many things as you've read. I'm sure Pit and Link—once together—will be playing that game more often, fu fu... Oh no, Marth would not have liked to hear how Ike's love for Link was far greater than his love for him. I don't think he'd want to have him as a lover. He didn't hear that, though. He went _shoppiiiiiiing~!_

**JtheChosen1:** Link and Pit will get together~ Oh ho, and I cannot WAIT to write when Roy returns. It's going to be an epic chapter. EPIC. But... but then Ike would be lonely!! 8O He needs love, too!

**Tylida:** (I... am... a _ninja_. lD) I'm afraid that Ike would beat Pit into a bloody, little pulp... if he was _that_ upset. But then Link would interfere and he'd definitely not want him back. Ever. Pit is a little man, isn't he? So brave...!!

...

As always, I've kindly typed up a little summary of the next chapter for your viewing pleasure...

_**Next Chapter... **_Two weeks have passed the Smashers leisurely by. Pit and Link are getting to know each other better through various events; Ike and Prince Marth are spending a little time together to repair their broken bonds and rekindle the friendship that they once had. Ike senses a positive change in the prince, encountering it firsthand as the two attend the fall carnival together, despite it being a little chilly and the fact that it certainly wasn't autumn anymore. But things between the two bluenettes definitely get a little emotional during their intimate outing.

There might be an **IkeXLink** flashback, too. Don't hold me to it, because I get lazy, too.

If there's another thunderstorm, I think I'll just cut my ears off. It's been constantly raining like there's no tomorrow. Don't get me wrong, I like the rain. I love it. Just not the storms that often come along with it. Hokage is afraid of lightning...

...

...

...I find nothing humorous.

Ha. I'm getting somewhat flamed for the way I choose to portray my characters.

Ehh, I guess it's a message saying that you can flame me—if necessary. I'm not a hard-ass. I accept them. It's critique, and critique is what molds a good author, _non?_ But I don't always agree with them (the flames). I have a thick skin, too—like a walrus, ha ha—and on top of that, I am very stubborn by nature.

So. Link, Marth, Roy and Ike—as well as everyone else—will remain the same personality-wise, that is... if I decide to change them. And even if I did change them, the story would be hellishly distorted and bland. _Disappointed?_ Well then, my friend, this fanfic was not created with you in mind! :D Why go along with the common flow of things when you can create something different and just as enjoyable?

Because that's just what _and_ who Hokage is.

Different.

_Besiiiiides_, who doesn't love an _adorable,_ _ickle Uke Link? _

Cranky old men with no teeth, that's who, and if _you_ don't like Uke Link, then you're just a cranky old man that has no teeth. Plain and simple.

(And I am truthfully sorry if anyone takes offense to that. Some of you might have had cranky, old grandfathers who had no teeth who've already passed on.)

And no, I have beef with no one.

I'm just going through some things.

Now with all that finally addressed, a review would be really nice.

:)

Much Love,

HokageAkamaru


	19. A Mess of Emotions

Title: A Lover's Brawl

Pairing(s): **IkeXLink**,** IkeXMarth**, Eventual** MarthXRoy**, **PitXLink**

Rating: M

**Full Story:** _Link has always been the quiet, shy type. That is… until Ike came into his life. Since then, Ike and Link have been an inseparable item ever since they've laid eyes on each other. Marth, coping with his broken heart after the disappearance of his very own lover—Roy—had secretly loved Ike from the beginning. But it was too late, Link was the only one on Ike's mind._

_With his seductive powers and body, he lures Ike to him, the both of them sharing many nights together. And ever since, Ike has not been able to let him—nor his delicious shape—go. Link is totally unaware of this, Ike constantly lying to him about his whereabouts to protect he and his prince's relationship. With whole-hearted trust, Link believes every single word._

_Marth wants a fully committed relationship with Ike—tired of hiding it—and he will do anything to get it, even if that means hurting one of the people that he loves the most._

_But there is one more person that complicates this plot._

_Someone who watches his crush from afar._

_(This story takes place after Super Smash Brother's Melee, the reason why Roy is "missing")_

**A/N:** Allow me to explain myself.

–is shot incalculable times–

_School is the culprit!_ Balancing grades and having enough time to write whorishness is an art one cannot master quickly. I tried to write all I could while listening to my senseis blab on and on about necessary evils... Plus having a slavedriver as a teacher wasn't necessarily "juggulable" either...

Hopefully I did a good job in this chapter. Forgive me for any mistakes; I had to work under difficult conditions. _I'll get a BETA soon._

**I** **thank you sincerely** from the depths of my corrupted, misguided soul for sticking with this fic… Some of you thought I wasn't going to continue it, but this monster deserves an ending, and I vow to always finish what I start.

**THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THE REVIEWS/ALERTS/FAVORITES! **And, of course, all of your thoughtful, constructive criticism and input that many of you have put into your reviews! It's certainly helped me organize this chapter better than I preplanned, and future chapters, too.

I adore and appreciate all of you and your thoughts! –heart–

Now, onward to the latest chapter, which includes: **IkeXMarth**, **IkeXLink**, **LinkXPit**, and **MarthXRoy**ness.

I think it was interesing, the way it turned out. And it's _veeeeeery_ long. But not a waste of your time if you have been waiting for it, I assure you.

:)

_Lisez! _

(Read!)

* * *

"_Are you sure this is something you wish to go through with? You know, you have caused me and this entire franchise great strain in your absence."_

"_Y-Yes, Sir. I-I'm sure. This is what I want."_

"_You are positive about this?"_

"…_Yes."_

"_Very well; it is renewed. Full effect shall take place in approximately a month. Welcome back, young sir... You were missed."_

xXx

Something about him has changed.

I cannot put my finger on it. I cannot name it precisely or accurately... but he is not the "Link" I personally once knew.

He is a... a different creature. A different man unknown to me.

And I have grown ever the more attracted.

Before, Link has always harnessed this... _this_... vulnerability about him. It was not that he was weak, no, not in that sense. But I could consciously sense this at times. He was always open, whether he was aware of this or not, but he was beneficially easy to read.

There is no such thing now.

Eye contact is steadily dissipating; when our eyes _do_ meet, it is I who is left breathless. Those pools of onyx permeating my own, causing a rumbling fuss within my soul. His irises—now stone-cold blue towards me and not at all their orthodox, oceanic, lax tone—chill me, cutting me open like a battering, winter breeze...

Now I have become the vulnerable, vincible one. When we pass one another, it nearly takes all of my strength to maintain sturdy balance in my legs. That timeless, spanless second, the instance when we are perfectly aligned... side-by-side, I can feel the energy of his pull, sapping me of everything—all that I have left. Basically, I become a limp and useless piece of worthless flesh. My heart constricts unbearably, my body feels as if I've sprinted without rest. I become short of air, my mind spirals, my mouth dries...

All of that... occurring within a second, and yet he remains flawless. Unmoving. Stagnant.

Nonchalant towards my feelings and emotions. And he is fully conscious of it.

It is as if he finds nutrition from my suffering... because he knows I'm hurting without him.

I miss him. I miss his smiles, I miss his small arms around me, I miss his kisses...

I _love_ him.

He's all my heart has ever known.

Some may argue that my actions did not show this, and yes, that is arguably true. I made my mistakes, and I most definitely regret them with exceeding remorse. But no one has the right to say that I did not _love_ him. They have no way of knowing the passion that ensued between us.

There aren't any words for it.

They were not the ones to receive my passionate kisses. They were not the ones I made love to.

_None of them where._

So what makes them think that they can have a free say in our private matter?

...

Everything has changed.

Link is not the Link I... _betrayed_, for lack of a softer term for cheating with one's best pal at the moment.

So much so, that... when I look upon him now, _I _have to catch my breath. This being is unfamiliar to me. I have to ask myself, has he always been this beautiful? Has his hair always been that lustrous? His lips that fine and sweet? His smile that infectious, charming, radiant...?

He looks... _happy_ now. Happier than he was when he... when he was with me. There's more pep in his giggle, a skip in his step. There he is... fancy-free. Unbound. Liberated, to do whatever he wishes. Date whomever he wishes...

...to _love_ whomever he wishes. That is what keeps me up well into the early morning; picturing the man you have loved endlessly in the arms of another is a hard and painful thing to do. But he is gone now; he is so far away from me.

I fear that I will never reach him.

Not even in my dreams.

...

...

Ike searched from within for anything else his heart wished to record, but could find nothing. He was pretty satisfied with this entry, significantly a little lighter. A rather pessimistic ending, but, _he wrote_ _something!_ With a few, final taps to the brow with his ballpoint stylus, the mercenary pressed the gold-plated button—retracting the tip—and closed his navy-blue journal, shelving it on his nightstand, which was also home to a few, worn novels.

"What's this?" one may be asking, "Ike writing in a journal? Whenever did this brew?"

Well, jolly Prince Marth—with knowledge of how keeping a journal positively benefitted his former, redheaded love—ever so kindly purchased the distraught swordsman a handsome, dark blue journal to record his deepest of thoughts safely and securely.

"_Here you are... I took the liberty in buying you a little something. It's a journal... M-My lover used to own one. And, oftentimes when he was upset, he'd pour every little thing into his book. He was so passionate and expressive when he wrote, and he would always comment that he felt a tab bit better, so... I-I thought this could help you in some form... It's a great outlet for pent-up feelings, which, I know can be very painful if kept inside and not handled properly."_

Though at first, Ike was reluctant to fill up a single, beige page of the leather-bound book.

"_You mean keep a diary? Like a little girl? Because that's exactly what this means."_

He'd received a slap to the face from the prince at this, whom he later apologized to. But when tiring, draining and occupying himself with exercise proved to be insufficient, and insomniac, dismal nights alone did not aid his healing process, one day, when he was one jump away from leaping into a pool of insanity, Ike emotionally emptied himself onto the first four pages—front and back—close to breaking his writing utensil. His hand ached, not accustomed to his unorthodox art, but he thrust the pain to the far rear of his mind. He pressed on, birthing letter after letter, word after word, being as descriptive as his vocabulary would allow.

That heartache, that hurt and that unremitting pining for that blonde man he lusted amorously for, all of it flowed from his heart, down his arm, through all five, reddened fingertips, into his pen and out through the over-flowing, black ink gel after each wide stroke.

Moments after his very first entry, he could say that he felt detectably better than he did thirty minutes prior to his writing frenzy. Not one-hundred percent—he never expected to personally achieve this level of satisfaction any time soon—but far, far better. Prince Marth proved to be correct: it actually _was_ a brilliant method of coping with feelings that often depressed him... He was truly grateful for that man, and all of his help and assistance.

Lost, he would be, without him.

It was nearing twelve o' clock in the morning on that flurried Thursday evening. Ike figured he'd jot down some of his last-minute, cancerous thoughts and feelings that he'd been biding in his new book.

His burning fingertips found coolness in the depths of his roots. He figured he should shower and head off to bed for the remainder of the night. Sleep is good for those that are weary...

A few knocks at the door interrupted his paced thoughts.

...It appears as though he would have to put his plans on hold for a moment.

The mercenary's ears perked upon the unceremonious, soft noise, and unexplainably, his heart—as if it has been jolted by a fatal amount of volts—started up at a progressing pace. Could it be Link standing behind that barrier? Could he have come to settle this matter and put the past behind them? To makeup? To repair their broken love and become one again? But... at this time of night?

_Be realistic_, scolded his heart, and instantaneously, his mind descended from the mystic clouds and back to solid, tangible earth.

It wasn't good to get your hopes up about the improbable.

"One minute," Ike called, slinging himself off of his bed, approaching the door at a steady pace. Not really so much in a rush, he did not feel topnotch physically... He was sore all over from excessively engrossing training.

A mere foot from the door, Ike lazily branched for the bronze knob and rotated it clockwise, pulling it open to reveal to him one of his fellow comrades, whoever it may be.

Fortunately, he did not allow his hopes to get too high.

Because there—tall and proud—stood the ever so lovely Prince Marth, who gave his friend a sweet, friendly smile and a humble wave.

"...Hello, Ike."

"Hey."

They stood in their places awkwardly for some time.

"Um... May I come in? I-I promise not to keep you awake for too long! I know it's a tad late to be making visits, but_... I-I just... er_... wanted to talk to you for a... a few moments... That is all."

There was a twitch in the edge of the traveler's lips, thusly creating a light, unenergetic smirk. Nevertheless, it was a smile. He gentlemanly took two steps back and widened his door.

"Sure. C'mon in."

"Thank you...!"

The prince shimmied on in, properly—and in a royal manner—propped himself upon the man's dismayed bed, anxiously drumming his fingertips rhythmically on his bare thighs.

"Do you mind if I take a quick shower?" asked Ike, grabbing a suspending towel.

"Oh. N-No! It is fine!" Prince Marth assured, throwing in a few articulate gestures with his hands to ensure this, which in return, Ike wholeheartedly grinned.

The bluenette retrieved his towel, "I'll be out in a sec, I promise."

And he disappeared behind his bathroom door without further ado, a long, hot stream of air curling from the prince's soft lips as he exhaled. He did not even know that much air has been biding within him. What was it doing there? And why had he been biding it?

There was a humming of the water circulating throughout the entire dormitory; it eased the noble's mind to a certain extent, but it still pondered on what could've possibly caused the hitched breath. He'd painfully come to terms that Ike did not harbor those... amorous feelings that they—once upon a time—shared on a ludicrously deep, intimate level anymore. He was far too submerged in silently grieving over the inevitable loss of his beloved... even thought it had been some weeks since their separation.

And so his sugarplum dreams of him being his "knight in shining armor"—or prince, literally-speaking—were annihilated.

And he accepted this...

..._he..._ accepted this, yes.

Prince Marth kicked his bare, manicured feet at the edge of the bed like a waiting child, ticking his head side to side, loosing himself progressively in the hum or the water.

So _this_ was it?

They would remain friends and nothing more?

How does one miraculously fall out of love with the one they've loved for nearly a year? One that you've shared your dreams, your hopes, your most private desires, secrets, the naughty, little things, your body—all that you had to give and more—with? Where does all the love go? Does one just, up and forget about this person? Well, that was impossible for the prince to attempt: he followed Ike around like a helplessly-loyal puppy dog, they resided under the same roof, and he personally offered help to him whenever he needed it.

Well, did one's heart just lock all of it up and throw away the key? Does it evaporate? Go away? Can one wish it away? Does it diminish over time? If so, at what rate?

Where does it all go?

_I am only here to help him get over this_, Marth reminded himself at that very moment,_ that is it... that is all. Nothing more nor less._

And to add onto that list of ever-growing questions, here is another: How long had he been thinking?

A warm mist, clouds of condensation and a scent of lavender embraced the young man's skin and perfect nose. Ike was finished bathing already?

With a spin of his head, Prince Marth smiled at his comrade's emergence, "My, that was quick! You said you wouldn't—" dilated pupils punctured his chest, "—_be... too... long..._"

Spheres of cyan grew an enormous—and gorgeous—three sizes. Every inch of the prince's moisturized skin quivered upon recollection...

Ike chuckled attractively—unaware of his fellow Smasher's expression—ridding his tresses of excess moisture with a white hand towel, "Yep. The water was nice and hot, too. _Usually I'm always left with the cold water_..."

Prince Marth's gaze softened, but—_involuntarily_, mind you—a certain part of him steadily hardened at the godly sight of a saturated, sopping _wet_, honey-skinned Ike, with only but a thin, drying garment clinging to him suggestively, concealing the most... _sumptuous_ region of him. But dear _gods_, how could the prince _ever _forget that incredibly built torso of his?

Liquid drops of water shimmered in the lamp's artificial glow, thus making the mercenary's torso appear to radiate light... His wonderfully-defined collar bone, his beautiful, muscled chest, his sinful obliques—those teasing, little, sextuplet cakes of yummy joy...

Marth, however, could not help himself but to stare down that accursed, ivory towel that hindered him from more delectable treats, making him ever the more obsessed with this god before him. It'd been a while since he'd last seen him in some form of nudity, and instinctively, this was how he reacted. If you asked him right then and there—and if he was capable of giving you a readied reply—what he wanted to do just then to that edible sculpture, was... well... he'd want to lick up every last drop of water dangling from his body for starters.

"I need to start on my laundry again... I'm running low on shirts," commented the swordsman to himself, who'd completed drying his hair and began to wipe down the remaining drops off his dripping flesh. Typically, Link would've kindheartedly taken care of his tainted clothes; fresh, warm pairs were always there to greet his dried frame. Now, he was dependent on himself.

With a simple flick of his hand, Ike banished the towel to his multiplying pile of clothes, "'Guess I should get started soon, huh?"

And he paused there, awaiting some sort of response from his fellow friend.

His fellow, drooling friend, "hot and bothered" etched feverishly on his softened countenance.

Ike's left brow arched in question, "Marth?"

It was not his voice that broke him out of his trance. Though simultaneously at the call of his name, a drop of saliva suspending from the right slit of his lips plopped onto his exposed thigh and the cool sensation irked him.

"Ah—"

His first response was to look at what caused that sudden coldness; his pupils enlarged upon seeing a clear pool of his own saliva on his leg.

_What? Oh dear, did Ike see—?_

Reluctantly, the prince met an entertained, delectably half-naked Ike, retaining a serious expression.

And at that moment, his cheeks could fry a dozen eggs. Over-easy.

Because he saw that... degrading liquid. He saw the evident lust lurking behind his glassy films.

"_Uhm—!_" messily sputtered Prince Marth, hastily about-facing, nearly fumbling off the bed, trying a tad bit too hard to make it seem inconspicuous.

"_You okay?_" the mercenary inquired, quickly and fluidly slipping on his nighties. The slightly smaller of the two quivered in his silken pajamas, but oh, he wasn't at all cold. That was not the problem here. He crossed his long, slim legs in hopes of concealing his _new _predicament...

_H-How foolish of me! I've made myself look like a—! A wanton! This... I cannot allow this to happen!_

"I-I must go...! I suppose I will talk to you tomorrow—!"

The flustered bluenette prince rose to bolt, but with a grip to his shoulders, he was forcibly pushed back into his seat.

"—_No._"

Cerulean's mingled in warmth and understanding. Ike—_now fully clothed, thank goodness_—settled himself next to the sanguine prince, "You see... We need to talk. Or... more like... I need to talk to you."

Marth blinked, "Talk to me?"

_What could he possibly want...?_

"About us... _About... things_."

Ike's low, delightfully-moving tone entered serious territory, those four words casting a binding spell of careful concentration upon the other man, rumbling his gut.

"Uh... A-Alright."

Prince Marth averted his gaze to his thighs, not really knowing what to expect from this, but nine times out of ten, it was going to be some kind of awkward. Ike meditated on these words that he was about to speak, and with a cleansing sigh, he summoned forth mentally everything that he'd prepared...

"Over the course of this whole... situation that we're in... I've been thinking, y'know, sorting my feelings, basically trying to get a grasp of how I_ really_ feel about you, an'... how I feel about Link, about... _everything._ The reason why it's taken me so long to tell you how I feel is because I've been doing some deep searching. I've been trying to find the right words that I could use to denounce some of the things that I've said to either you or... things that I've said to myself... Because I was not being wholly honest with my feelings. I was angry and... and hurt. I've said some... really mean things, and... I... I just want you to know, that _I'm sorry_. I'm truthfully, wholeheartedly sorry. When I said that I regretted... ever making love to you, I said it out of feeling after losing Link. They were just empty words and—"

"—Empty words that made me feel like an utter _whore_," inclusively declared the noble strongly, the injected statement damn near saturated with bottled, contracted emotion and ache. But the cap came flying off, and there was no probable way of taking the said words back. Prince Marth blinked out of his fixed trance of recollected anger, shoving two digits over his pursed, minty lips.

"UH—! _I'm sorry!_ I did not mean—!"

"No, no! It's okay!" Ike reassured, notably anxious, scooting intimately closer to the outspoken man adjacent to him, if that were possible. He was already practically plastered up against his side, breathing down his elegantly stretched neck. Marth, alerted but discreetly adoring the familiar position of Ike's comfort position, exhaled his never-ending jitters, the pretty noble relaxing himself. The lulling scents of lavender soap and the taller man's natural pheromones pleasantly numbed everything in him. A large, lukewarm hand stroked his slumped shoulder blade consolingly, and in rolled that husky, grounded, low voice like a trail of thunder clouds...

"..._It's okay, Marth. Share your feelings... It's okay. And I'm sorry_. I..."

Utilizing all of his courage and strength, the prince, wet-eyed, craned his neck until their gazes crossed... Pitch-black pupils entrapped the other in a sweet, timely gander. Marth's enlarged spheres utterly melted the mercenary's core and played a depressing piece on his heartstrings. Because mirrored in those aquamarines was all the inflicted hurt, angst, and heartache he'd caused him over the discourse of their romantic relationship. Though he tried greatly to mask it, Ike knew him all too well.

Nothing could get past him.

And nothing would.

"...I apologize from the very depths of me. It was wrong to say those things to you. I mean, the nights we spent together... those _meant_ something to me. Whether we were just talking, or whether we were in fact making love. You were... you were always there for me. Always. As a comforter, a listener... Even now, presently; I don't deserve it. You've always stuck by me, and you didn't have to. I often overlook this. I take that for granted—no. I should say that I take _you _for granted. You are a very precious person to me, and I apologize for treating you as if you were otherwise. I _apologize_ for treating you differently, as if you were second-rate. I didn't keep my promise: to treat you and Link equally.

I'll confess: I placed Link higher at times—well, nearly all the time. That, too, was wrong. And I'm sorry, Prince Marth. _I was not worthy of your love... _

I-I hope you can... forgive what I've done."

Prince Marth Lowell's twinkling, glossy spheres locked onto the mercenary's sincere pair. Beautiful, sweet lips whipped up into a pleasing smile... a delightful spectacle.

"_That's all I've wanted to hear..._" he murmured delicately, "..._all I've wanted to hear._"

Ike's lips, too, smiled, the man snuggling closer to the prince, who snuggled back just as warmly...

"So... we are... _friends?_" peeped the noble, unable to keep himself from getting tongue-tied. Ike pursed his lips in thought, steadily exhaling.

"..._I hope we are!_" Ike then tickled the prince with spidery fingers, earning manly chortles from the other bluenette, who successfully plucked them off one by one. Soon after this friendly assault, Marth focused his orbs elsewhere to find something else they could blab about. After all, that's why he'd come to his dormitory in the first place. Ike had been acting indifferently today for whatever private reason he had.

"_S-Say_, why are you still scurrying about so late?" invasively inquired the noble, adjusting his ruffled bangs. And visibly, Ike flourished with a sugary baby-pink.

"I-I was... writing an entry."

Prince Marth was thoroughly blown away by this reply, so excited and roused that he clapped.

"_Were you?_"

"Yeah."

"And you feel better, don't you?"

Ike snickered, "Considerably, though I've come to find out about myself that writing about what I want to happen only urges me to act it out ever the more... and I haven't the strength nor the conscious to do it... _That's what weakens me_."

Marth peered for other hidden details in his fellow swordsman's eyes, whose countenance's lovely, spring blush began to dissipate into a dark, heavy expression. And no, no, no! The prince would not have that! Such pretty, luscious lips were not meant to create such sad lines!

"...Do not fret, Ike."

The mercenary halted to listen, and Prince Marth continued when he felt entitled to do so.

"...Tomorrow is a new day; you can do with it anything that you wish. You can say what you wish, do what you wish... So there is no rush. And besides, you will have millions of other tomorrow's, millions of other opportunities..." the duo of sparkling sapphires met gently, "...Pace yourself, Ike. _Relax._ You have all the time in the world... Don't you think so?"

Ike could only gape like a loud-mouthed woman who had just been slapped to her senses by her mate, gaping at the smiling bluenette before him in awe.

He knew when to say the words that he wanted to hear. He always seemed to; how and why was this? Lifted from the tainting thoughts of darkness, the traveler nearly bounced on him and pinned him to his bed whilst giving His Highness—who shrieked in response—a suffocating, out-of-character man-hug.

_Eh...?_

"_Thanks_, Marth," Ike lightly abraded their rosy cheeks, "_Thank you. You're... really amazing_."

And Prince Marth—dazzled by the overpowering muscular limbs binding him like a serpent—leisurely and slightly brought his palms to stroke the other man's flexed biceps, sinking into the embrace.

"You are very welcome, Ike," muttered he easefully, relishing in this intimate embrace.

_I am always here when you need me._

At trying times like this, Ike truly valued their new, comfy relationship...

Lost, he most definitely would be, without him.

_Flashback..._

It was a brand-new day at the Smash mansion.

Lovebirds were rested warmly in their nests, tweeting melodies of tenderness and hope. The yellow star in the heavens appeared excessively bright, more than usual. Its rays of aesthetic, golden heat were unforgiving and beautifully malicious.

The early-rising Hyrulean had experienced vast weather conditions throughout his short lifetime. He'd experienced the frostiest wastelands and the skin-peeling winds of indefinite deserts... But today—even with the sun in its early stages of star life and of that morning—the heat was enough to fry eggs for breakfast that morning for every soul in the manor for that matter.

He, Prince Marth and Ike had planned to have training the night before, not one of them aware of how ungodly hot it would be the following day. Plus Prince Marth had just recovered from a black out—which Link believed to be the result of his newly-adopted "diet"—and so he was not able to attend their scheduled practice rounds.

"_Well, looks like it's just gonna be you and me, babe," _the indigo-haired charmer said, giving his little love a romantic squeeze to his shoulder, endeavoring to sound truthfully disappointed since they stood before the sickly prince who rested in his sack.

That's what Link feared—_and anticipated_—the most.

There was an obvious twinkle in his godly, blue eyes...

Alone? With that man? _At dawn?_ Even if he was his lover, Ike just made the little hairs all over his body tingle like mad!

He could easily recall what occurred the last time they were alone together as if it took place less than a week ago.

That kiss.

His very first kiss.

Stolen by a man.

Another _male._

And he was the submissive of all positions! But compared to Ike, it was expected...

A definite surprise to the archer, the kiss was. Those large, warm hands fondling him, his fingers stroking him, his tongue tasting him... and with Link being a total beginner in this charade called "love", and despite the solid, unmistakable fact that Ike was the same, sexual species as him, thought of it as a mind-blowing experience.

And a rather terrifying one as well. He hadn't a clue what he was getting into; eyebrows ranging vastly from bushy to thinned and trimmed—Marth's—were starting to arch as chemistry between the two began to blossom... and beautifully.

They have every reason to.

Prior to the fruitful beginning of their relationship, Ike would always smile at him across the table, waving and grinning, attracting attention, of course. And Link, embarrassed somewhat, sank deep into the large, cushioned chair as every head turned to look at the reddening blonde, who would sheepishly grin and wave, desperately spitting prayers below his breath to his goddesses for the ability to turn invisible.

Ike occasionally and blatantly would pull him aside to whisper a few things into his ears, though making it appear romantically suspicious by the sensuous motioning of his lips and the actual place where he held him. Often it was around his midsection. Link was always left with as though a cherry bomb detonated over his face. And often, Ike pecked his cheek after sharing a "Good Night" or a "Good Morning" and other cute messages.

And lastly, but most definitely not the final occurrence that caused seeded rumors of romance to sprout about the manor, Ike's amorous stares and gazes of interest. Link would catch a sly duo of hazy eyes that cleverly wielded a passionate intent behind those smoldering, oceanic films... staring thirstily at him. When their pupils locked, subtle, delicious messages sent tingles to the blonde's most sensitive, vulnerable areas. He had to catch his breath. Overcome with these sensible sensations, the quiet one would steer his vision elsewhere, yet that edible blush lingered for the speculating residents to feed off of and for the mercenary's pleasure. Link would directly afterwards look back to see if those eyes continued to ravenously monitor him, feeling considerably safe since some time had flew by...

...And they were.

Though the second time, Ike acted as if his gaze alone could penetrate his clothing and strip him stark-naked, those spheres traveling up and down... and up once more to gaze into those eyes as he smirked bigger, all-knowingly. And little Link was forced to turn away, feeling molested—though, it really wasn't molestation if he did like it—finding himself oddly short of breath.

The Hyrulean did not classify himself openly as a... homosexual. Men did not naturally catch his eye, and women were always just... _there. _He'd been far too busy saving the Hylian kingdom to get involved in relationships, and serious ones at that...

But_ this_ man. No matter how repellant Link was toward him, no matter how little interest he displayed, Ike mightily pushed just as hard to make his feelings that he harbored for him apparent and persistently—in public and intimacy—letting the entire mansion aware that he had his eyes set on him and he was not giving him up to anyone.

In other words, he had dibs.

Link found this... extremely flattering. Someone would actually go through all the trouble just to capture his attention? He pondered and pondered till his brain bled why in the world anybody—let alone... the sexiest man in the mansion—would take an interest in little ol' quiet, uninteresting him.

And a sexual interest at that.

Reverting back to the situation regarding the training session set at sunrise...

Link, having a rather tiring day the day before and desiring sleep, had forgotten to set his alarm clock for their established time. And although he had a most wonderful, replenishing and rejuvenating rest, he had slept nearly forty-eight minutes into their session.

He was visited earlier by Princess Zelda who had been sent by Ike to investigate the reason for his tardiness, but upon walking in on the blonde's rest, she left him be with a smile.

Deep down, though, he wished she should have woken him! But he looked so restful and at ease.

Sooner or later he did rise, and glancing at his alarm clock, he scrambled like a little rodent out of his comfortable sack of heavenly, warm sheets! He'd slept in on their private session! Hasty and half-asleep, the Hyrulean bustled into the shower. He threw on his traditional uniform—roughly forgetting his beloved, green hat—darting out of his dorm and into the corridors, making a rather hazardous break for the entrance of the mansion. He, the prince and his beau sparred and engaged in jabbing and the like out front, typically.

_Darn it... I overslept! I hope he hasn't been waiting on me... and for too long!_

Unavoidably, the blonde man reached his desired destination—thankfully with zero casualties—catching his broken breath as he slung open the heavy, aged barricade. A skin-tightening wave of dry, unpardonable heat swathed itself about his cool body. It forced him to blink as he looked out to the distance for a sign of his newly-found love, tears accumulating, oddly. But amid the liquid swayed a dark mass.

_Ike...?_

Stepping out into hell, closing the door behind him, Link wiped the nuisances with a few rubs to the wrist to acquire a better view.

And indeed, what a fair view it was.

The dark mass, who proved to be his lover Ike, emitted a grunt of labor as he swung Ragnell over his head, only to quickly thrust it to the left, as if he were lightly stubbing his imaginary enemy. He repeated this thrice, halting, figuring that he'd mastered the maneuver and was sated.

Link's knees were on their very last limb. Ike's manly, brute, skull-crushing strength was tremendously admirable, yes, but that was not what he was marveling over.

The man was half-naked.

Topless, baking deliciously in the glorious presence of the sun. Perspiring profusely, glittering appealingly... And dear goddesses... Whatever did Link do to be sent such an angel?

The indigo-haired male seemed to have decided that he'd booked enough training in for that morning, settling his monstrous blade against a convenient three that bore a few, summer leaves. He then received his bottle of what seemed to be water from the ground, unscrewing its plastic cap, bringing the opening to his part lips. Link, with half-lidded eyes, watched interestedly as his lover's fine lips latched around the opening, taking long swags of the liquid. Somehow, he found pleasure in watching the "apple" in his mate's throat bob up... and down... He broke away, his chiseled chest rising and falling, pouring the remaining water into his hair, using the other hand to work it well into his thick roots, water splashing everywhere...

The grass, his obliques, his neck, shoulders...

Link swallowed the manifested lump of nerves, sharply inhaling. And by that he was finally discovered.

A warm pair of Siberian-blue hues interlocked with his twinkling own, and a complementing pair of lips gave him a charming smile.

Ike gathered up Ragnell, his religiously-worn bandana, his discarded cloths and bottle, approaching his on-looking lover while taking the sexiest of strides, cheesing all the while. Everything within the petite swordsman, anatomically speaking, felt as if it'd adopted a chemical makeup of jelly or taffy, or some other amorphous, unstable substance...

This was his boyfriend, right?

_His?_

This... this fine, mouth-watering specimen?

Beaming brighter than the star above, Ike finally reached his stimulated love, chuckling. He gripped the gentle chin, hiking his head up slightly to accommodate their cute height difference everyone loved to comment on.

"_Hey, baby_," a sweet, greeting kiss was shared between the couple. Link's nerves rattled at the _still_ foreign feeling of the man's lips working wonderfully against his own. _My_, was he a lucky man...

They broke apart, the mercenary continuing to secure his chin and his handsome grin. Link could only stare bluntly, agape.

"_I didn't see you there. _Were you spying on me? _Naughty, little thing..._"

"_NO!_ I most certainly was not!"

The taller of the two heartily sniggered, sweeping his tongue across his bottom lip before pulling it into his mouth, "_You are so cute..._ I would hold you, but I'm all... sweaty and wet."

The blonde sighed...

"I heard you slept in a little bit."

This shook the shorter male from his post-kiss expression.

"_I-I know._ And I apologize! I set my alarm clock, b-but it still didn't go off! _I haven't mastered working that thing yet_..."

"Aw, don't sweat it. It's alright; Zelda told me, by the way. She said she didn't want to disturb your rest. You looked so peaceful s'what she said."

Link blushed, "I... I suppose I was."

Ike smiled, "In case you haven't noticed, it's a blazing oven out here. I don't think we should even have the tourneys in this heat, 'less Master Hand wants us all dead—_which doesn't surprise me_. Besides, I'd rather just spend the entire day with you... _Alone_, y'know? _You would like that, wouldn't you?_"

"Alone" echoed in the canals of the little blonde's Hyrulean appendages, and he was bestowed yet another kiss to his beckoning petals...

"_Y-Yeah_..." he mindlessly agreed, sparkles prancing about his beau as he bat his lashes... Ike was very pleased at Link's love struck expression. There was no way of telling that he would have such an expressive man…

"I'll be seeing you at breakfast... I'm gonna take a quick shower. _Don't stay outside too long..._"

Ike didn't dare leave his partner without a kiss, and he did so, and the smaller man could've sprouted little wings on his back and soared into the sun...

He then parted Link with a grateful smile and a thumb brush to his chin, disappearing behind the large, oak doors.

Once out of his presence, Link nearly flattened his lungs as he breathed out, his azures doing somersaults before they sank back into his head and his eyelids closed.

Ike.

What oh _what_ was he going to do with a man like him?

xXx

Prince Marth Lowell fanned away the fruity fumes after he sprayed nearly all of his hair spray's contents. He did not mind it: it made his bathroom smell rather nice and exotic! Lovingly, the prince ran his comb through his shimmering locks of heaven, humming and singing as loudly and harmoniously as the birds.

"_Hmph._ There! That'll teach you to defy my orders," triumphantly proclaimed the man, barking at an errant strand of hair that now bowed respectfully, lying in place precisely where the young man wanted it.

Shortly after proving himself to a strand of nonliving hair, the noble flocked to his dresser for more personal primping... whilst clothed in only his undergarments, his imperial-blue uniform's blouse and purely cotton socks. Only the best for his precious soles.

An assorted variety of lip glosses stared their obsessive owner in the face, all bearing fruity, pleasantly-scented aromas and the promise of more full-looking, kissable, irresistible lips. Many of the colorful, plastic cylinders appealed to the nobleman, but today wasn't any other ol' day. Today was an exceptionally special day for the vivacious young man. It was important. It retained relevance... It was he and Ike's one month anniversary, and for this very occasion, Marth was hell-bent on perfecting every miniscule thing... from the microscopic blending of his make-up onto his creamy skin to the most disobedient of hairs.

Perfection was what he was aiming for, because _every single thing_ had to be perfect for this day, and it was going to be.

The inquiry remains, however...

Which flavor would Ike prefer have smudged onto his lips? When they kissed—and oh how thoroughly they kissed—what would he want to taste today? The prince liked to switch things up every now and then. You know, to keep things a little interesting between him and his stealthy paramour.

How about something unusual...? That would be exciting, _non?_ Would lime be deemed as extraordinary and different? It definitely was different if you asked him. Or pineapple, by any chance?

"Hmm... 'Poison-berry Paradise.'"

The prince unloosened the sleek, dangerously-dark purple cap, pulling out the stem and applying the clear liquid to his thin, projected lips. The fragrance drifted invisibly, settling near his nostrils, and he sighed in pleasure with a shiver.

"_This surprisingly smells really good_."

Once he'd figured he'd applied a sufficient amount, he packed the lip glosses away, yet stowing his new favorite into his pocket for safe keeping and future uses. Just in case Ike liked it too much.

Prince Marth Lowell snickered ecstatically and frolicked slightly to his left, grasping preciously his antique _parfum de l'eau—_an elegantly-crafted glass of a bulbous nature, bearing a periwinkle liquid—squeezing the balloon-like end twice.

He proceeded tediously to expertly apply his make-up. Every eyelash was fanned to the farthest, feasible extent, his cheeks bore an irresistible blush, and all traceable blemishes temporarily ceased to be, blessings to the miracle of mineral powder. Minutes the man spent painting on his facial canvas until he was verily pleased with the resulting reflection in his truthful mirror.

_Perfection._

He didn't like to toot his own horn—well, _yes he did_—but he was one_ sexy_ man. Link was... attractive in his special way, but based on appearance, whomever suggested otherwise, they apparently needed a new set of eyes.

"_Why hello there Your Highness, Prince Marth. You are looking rather ravishing today_," said the prince _to_ the prince, snapping his limbs in pretzel formation, deepening his smooth voice as he practiced his coquettish winking. It was a daily ritual of his, telling himself how beautiful he was. Not that anyone hadn't told him lately that he was lovely—he had gotten at least five hundred complements a day—it was just something he did to boost his confidence... or rather inflate his substantial ego.

"_Oh ho..._ Please, _stop it~!_" He cupped his cheek here, his sparkling orbs looking to the ceiling, waving a dismissive hand.

"_No no, you look staggeringly beautiful, as always_."

"You really think so?"

"Why, _I know so. Say, have you done something with your hair? I'm absolutely loving_—"

—Two, simple knocks resounded throughout his dorm, Marth pausing his one-sided conversation with the other prince in the mirror to allow his visitor passage inside.

"_Hello—?_"

A short-lived indigo blur, and the very next thing the half-clothed bluenette knew, he was hiked up and swirled about in the air, before roughly being forced onto his made bed unwillingly, wrists seized and tacked on either side of his head. Prince Marth's chest rose and fell violently, as red as any springtime cherry could be, scrunching his manicured eyebrows as his enraged sapphires focused fixatedly on whomever forced him into this disrespectful position.

"_Hey, Luscious. I've been waitin' to see you all week..._"

Low and behold, it was Ike, who snickered just as joyfully at his amour's current features, trailing his teasing digits all about the ivory epidermis of the fine prince's outer thighs once he'd relinquished his red-ringed wrists, inching forward for a welcoming kiss.

"_Mmm_, and much to my delight, I see you're just getting dressed—?"

"—_IKE YOU INCOMPETENT IMBICLE!_"

And with all of his princely might, Marth swung himself upright, sending his paramour flush against his lavender wall with a terrifying push, Ike emitting a deep, "_Umph!_" Prince Marth, at breakneck speed, pranced towards his gargantuan mirror in a flash, observing with scrutinizing orbs his do, which he already had an inkling how destroyed it was, but he just wanted to know how much damage had been done.

Pretty much, Ike disheveled it really well, and this had hot, sweltering steam spewing from his ears. All of that hair sheen, hair spray, the immeasurable minutes of painstakingly laying down each, stubborn thread of cobalt, all whisked away in a single, stoppable incident.

"_YOU DOLT!_ DO YOU KNOW HOW LONG IT TOOK FOR ME TO GET MY HAIR—THIS NATURALLY COILED BUSHEL OF COARSENESS—IN THE STATE THAT IT WAS IN PRIOR TO YOUR NEEDLESS ROUGH HOUSING?

Ike, the little cuckoo birds dissipating one by one, peeled himself from the wall, giving his noggin a well-deserved rub or two.

"...No?"

Marth groaned and huffed and spat... most likely complaints. If he didn't love him there's no telling what he would've done to him. He rumbled his upset hands about his dresser in desperate search for a ready comb, "_My goodness. How am I ever going to get that shape back? Bothersome locks..."_

Ike, now coming to, thinned his mesmerizing lips into an alluring grin as his orbs took in the delicious spectacle of a trouser-less Prince Marth, who was furiously powdering his petite nose while tugging a comb through his ruffled mane all at once. But the tallest of pair wasn't at all that fixated on his hair.

But those legs.

Those long, slim, pretty legs... slightly curvaceous in all the right places, bestowed upon them a tasty shade resembling crème milk. The hem of his princely undergarment's stopped mid-thigh, granting the observing mercenary the god given blessing of drinking in both sumptuous appendages. The curve of his petite hips, the voluptuousness of his muscled calves...

He'd had enough teasing; it was time he reeled in the bait.

"_Great_... it's unfixable now—"

With the strength of a locomotive, Ike swallowed the quavering prince from behind, pouring him flush against his hot frame. He situated his head in between the inviting crook of his sweet neck, thus burying his lips against some of the available skin, sowing kisses...

Marth, blushing bloody-red, wriggled like a dehydrated inch worm, "_No!_ Release me, Ike! You're further ruining my hair!"

But _gods_, did he feel good doused in his warmth...

"Not even if I have _this_ to give to you?"

Prince Marth continued squirming in defiance, until a long, pertinent, single pink rose encased in a plastic cone stared him blue in the face.

The noble bluenette blinked stupidly at the flower, engrossed in its simple beauty.

"Wh... _What?_"

"_A single rose for a single month... _Kinda cliché but I figured you liked that sorta thing. You thought I forgot, didn't cha?"

A handful more winks of sheer befuddlement and _bing. _Everything within His Highness's cranium clicked. Inhaling as if it was going to be his very last breath, Prince Marth brought up his tremulous hands to grasp his beautiful gift.

"..._Oh_, Ike," he leisurely turned to face his captor, Ike voluntarily slacking his clutches, but resettling his arms about his waist. The rosy-cheeked man scrutinized his beauteous flower longingly, bringing it to his nostrils, taking in ginger whiffs of its natural earthiness, thusly looking to his paramour with shimmering, bright irises...

"You... _You didn't forget_..."

"'_Course I didn't_... Besides, how could I with you tossing around hints every minute of every day? You like it?"

"_Yes._ _Yes, it's beautiful...! _Oh Ikey, you don't know the slightest bit how happy this makes me!"

And at that subtle challenge did the indigo-haired swordsman's lips develop a deadly, sinister smirk.

"..._Think you can show me with that body of yours, baby doll?_"

His Highness, adopted a similar, foxy smirk, simpering throatily as he deposited his coral rose onto his disoriented dresser.

"'_Think'?_"

Felinely, he coiled his right leg about the mercenary's left inching his parted, tasty lips teasingly closer to the anticipating, opposite pair, more teasingly than a nice, big platter of hot cookies. A second from meshing in ecstasy, the prince pushed Ike onto his bed with a laugh; consequently, because of their tied appendages, he toppled onto him, smiling as the day was long.

"_You underestimate me._"

Prince Marth brought his incredibly soft hands to Ike's aglow visage, planting his thin lips upon his paramour's. A low, unconscious moan slipped from his mouth. It's been roughly a week since the last time he'd tasted these lips. Impatiently, the mercenary powerfully skewered the noble's defenses with the very tip of his tongue. Marth mewled fittingly, gasping for precious oxygen as he accepted the man's invitation to a lovely slow dance with his tongue, massaging the fleshy, warm insides of his cheeks.

They engaged in a needy, overdue lip lock, Ike, grinning all the while as a sweet and equally citric substance caught his taste buds. HHHfgdfgis naughty, wanderlust hands began to grope Marth's gentle thighs; he was rewarded with the most adorable whines he'd heard him muster... a close, very close second to the blonde.

They tore apart reluctantly, partly for air and to share a few soft words.

"_...Raspberry?_" estimated Ike, attractively licking off the greasy, flavored balm with an upward arch to his eyebrow. Marth giggled, "_Nope!_ It's a new one—_Poison-berry_. Like it?"

"_Intriguing_."

Ike, with a strong tug to the prince's nape, reclaimed his lips, growling possessively as he hastily caressed the flavorful walls of his mouth. Marth worked his own tissue, steadily becoming aware of the now migrating hands who sought northern territory—his rear. Clearly one thing was on his mind at that time.

Smiling in between the kiss, the noble bluenette whispered, "_Where's... Linky...?_"

"_...Breakfast._"

"_Has... he been... waiting... long?_"

"..._No_."

"_How lon_—_AH!_" Prince Marth relinquished a loud cry when given a sharp and totally unexpected spank to his bottom. An entertained Ike simpered, "_Quiet_," he hissed militarily, "_No more talking._"

Recovering from the kinky smack to his ass, the prince, with half-lidded, shady eyes, smiled just as wide and conniving, "_Yes,_ _Papa._"

Lucky duck Ike was about to have himself some _prince à la mode_ for breakfast that morning, a fine dish if you must ask him, when disappointingly, the young man rolled off of his frame and popped right onto his feet.

"That'll be enough!"

Ike blinked, damn near close to tears. Registering painfully what had just occurred, the taller male shot up straight, observing the other male, who continued managing his tresses with an expression of utter disbelief.

"Marth? May I ask _what_ in the _world_ you're doing?"

"Fixing my hair."

"_Yeeeeah_, I can see that clearly. _But I thought..._ I thought we were gonna... _Y'know—_"

"—Have sex? Mmm, 'love to, but I'm not really in the mood for a quickie today, dear. Plus I can't afford to skip breakfast with this new diet plan. I'm craving a raisin bagel and some pineapple slices," a shriek of excellent, "_Victory!_ My hair is once again perfect!"

However, the mercenary could not find any happiness for his forbidden lover. Not even if he tried. He was just left hanging high and dry! A comical unhappy face coated his features as he cuddled the younger swordsman from behind.

"_Why not noooooow?_" he whined with a manly pout, tooting his lips in hopes of swaying him. This only bubbled a soft round of chortles, and a warm palm to the opposite cheek.

"Aww, you big baby... _Don't worry_," His Highness sliced into his eyes, "_I'll give you a night that little Linky will never measure up to_." And he punctuated that promise with a fluid, sensual rock of his hips with drew a murky purr from Ike. With a curled finger, he brought the lovely man's lips to his mouth via grip to his chin, Prince Marth moaning as if he'd taken a large bite out of a delectable upside-down cake.

"I'm holding you to that..." Ike whispered to them, smirking fiendishly.

"Eleven o' clock. _Sharp. _And you'd _better_ not be late if you know what's good for you."

xXx

"_Liiiiiiiink~!_"

The nobleman scooped the off-guard Hyrulean out of his chair and into the macho bear trap of his arms, pecking his irresistibly peckable cheeks.

"_Ouuuu_, good morning, my dear, dear Link! How are you fairing?"

Link, gasping for oxygen, cracked a smile for his friend, feeling the marrow of his bone churn to putty.

"_I-I'm fine..._" he drained, a slight kick in his legs. He glanced in desperateness to his sniggering lover in hopes that he'd save him from this friendly human octopus. Ike shrugged in his seat as he crunched on his slice of cantaloupe; he found nothing really that would raise an immediate red flag. He personally found their relationship adorable. Why, when they first met, he actually thought that they were a couple, basing that assumption off of how attentive the blonde was to the prince, and how awfully close of a brotherly relationship they had.

"_He's like a brother to me, Ike. An eccentric one, but... one that I've never had."_

In time, and fortunately for the blonde's health, the prince lowered him onto the shiny floor, grinning.

"Are you feeling better?" Link questioned, inhaling.

"Oh yes! I feel one hundred percent!"

"Good, good... Um... _Marth?_"

"Yes, sweetums?"

The petite swordsman gazed to his aged boots, then to an absent table in the northern part of the café, before ringing his arms about him, digging his face into his collarbones. Marth blinked at the unexpected hug.

"_Don't ever scare me like that again, Marth. Please... never again._"

"Oh, Link... I-I'm sorry!" Marth muttered patting his back. Link peered into his friend's pupils, a widespread mope evident on his prominent visage. It gnawed at his heart like a binging parasite. He honestly meant it. Never before had he witnessed him produce such crestfallen lips... He had a good friend.

A great friend... Who cared about him. Genuinely.

"_LINK—!_" the bluenette shoveled his little blonde amigo into a second trap, "—Don't make that face! You're making me feel guilty!"

Liberating him after a few more wails, Link—taking it upon himself to prepare the prince's meals to be sure that he was ingesting his daily, vital nutrients henceforth—began his trek to the hot carts. Marth and Ike occupied their usual chairs at their usual eating area, engaging in an adulterated version of footsies that was fittingly secluded by a dark-colored curtain.

Boy could neither man wait till eleven o' clock.

xXx

The beginning matches commenced as they typically did on that hot, regular day. All of the Smashers as well as their fellow fans and comrades of various worlds and dimensions received excess shade to protect them from the sun's moodiness. As of then, Yoshi and Wario were swiftly dodging falling bob-ombs, hanging in there for that one critical moment where one or the other would succumb to the power and unseemliness of the explosive. Each and every spectator hung on the edge of their comfy spot. All except for the lovey-dovey couple Ike and Link, who was currently being teased to death about his abrupt and unfathomably cute peck by his mate.

"_You're becoming more and more aggressive lately, Link. I like that._"

"_IIIIke...!_"

Ike's sexy lips and naughty hands sexually assaulted his body and neck—not that the Hyrulean minded—until he claimed his ultimate prize: a wet, open kiss with his compliant blonde.

The sharp sounds of slashing, moist tongues and passionate moans interrupted and disturbed the prince from his grooming. He was seated next to them—Link specifically. Using his peripheral vision, he could vividly see that large, familiar hand roam all about Link's rear, the groped one mewling and nervously kissing Ike with his shy appendage, submitting unto him obediently. He was lightheaded, queasy, but all over feeling so good.

And it burned Marth's ass.

Naturally jealous, His Highness repeatedly cleared his unclogged throat in hopes of grasping the blonde's undivided, thusly tearing those pink lips from _his _Ike's mouth. But this proved to be ineffective and pointless. It was times like these when the noble has to resist the temptation to stuff his quite expensive boots up Ike's tight ass. Yes, they were trying to keep their secret relationship all hush-hush, but the mercenary did not have to go and rub it all in his face that he was dating his best pal with kisses and petting and... the typical lover stuff. Especially not in front of him. It was a wonder why Link couldn't hear his blood boiling like lava with those supposedly sensitive ears of his.

Time for a not-so-subtle approach.

"Oh you two! Simmer down, why don't cha? We have little children here, you know!" politely, yet with a sharp tongue, said Prince Marth with a few thrown-in giggles. He made absolutely certain that he was heard, raising his gentle voice loud enough to overcome the noisy smacking and sucking of lips and tongues. Link ripped away from his boyfriend with a snap, furiously wiping the dribbling edges of his lips, as red as can possibly be.

"_You're right!_"

Ike, smirking, for he was very pleased with his lover's reaction to the situation, wrapped his lover up tight, "Linky started it."

"I gave you a simple kiss!"

"See? _You still started it_..." the swordsman retorted with kisses.

"_IIIIIke..._"

Marth's hues gyrated, "You're lucky to have such an affectionate man, Link! One who loves _you_ and _only_ you."

He punctuated "only" with a glare in the mercenary's direction. Ike caught this glare straight away, jolted and alerted, his kisses to his blonde paused in mid-action. Figuring that got his attention—and the reaction he wanted—the prince nodded to his friend with the same, phony smile and pat.

"_Yep!_ A man who's _always_ there for you _every _minute of the day! Propping you up on a golden pedestal! You should be happy that he _values you_ _above all others!_ I would be if I had a guy like that!"

Marth re-cut his eyes deep into the mercenary, wishing that piercing gaze alone could penetrate his sinning flesh, who guiltily turned to look in the other direction, knowing precisely who those slyly-stressed words were aimed toward. Despite the tension being tossed about between the two cobalt-haired swordsmen, Link—who by the way, couldn't pick any of this energy up—smiled apprehensively at his best friend, "_I... I am thankful for Ike. Very thankful... I love him very much. He's very... very kind to me. I am just not used to such... affection_—I'm sorry if it really bothers you!"

"Oh, don't mind me, darling! You go on ahead and snuggle up with your man! It's fine with me! I'm off to the restroom to freshen up a bit, besides. I'm perspiring _everywhere_. It's unbearably hot today, is it not?"

The prince rose from his seat, waving to his comrade and the cheater on his left, "Be back in a bit!"

"...Okay."

After a few waves to his most loyal fans, Prince Marth began his long trek to the restroom, suddenly overcome with a sensation that a spacious bubble of air nestled itself in his chest.

xXx

Ike could say that he loved him until he was blue in the face.

All day and all night and for all eternity.

And the prince would believe him.

With every kiss, with every hug, spooning bout, midnight rendezvous... _Yes. _He would believe anything those lusciously plump lips poured out. But upon witnessing one kiss with his precious blonde. One long, warm, touchy embrace...

And Ike's efforts were all for naught.

Nothing in the world could sway the prince from his fixed state of jealousy. Reality hit him, or, more like trampled over his pretty, angel face. And no one tramples over Prince Marth Lowell's angel face.

No one.

_Ever._

But this was something that could not be tangibly fought, but it fought the young prince, alright, and it won each and every time.

It was a never-ending cycle of this. So much so that it ate at his heart like concentrated acid.

Why was love so cruel to him? Whatever did he do to deserve such unfair, unjust punishment? Whatever did he do to have the love of his life abandon him? Walk out? Just up and leave without... one last kiss...?

Prince Marth fiercely thrashed his head to the left and right... ruining his locks, yes, but hoping that this would banish those harmful thoughts of his old flame. No. It was not the time nor place to be thinking of him. He was history. Ike was now.

Yes... Ike.

That's who he'd like to focus his mind on.

Gazing endlessly into a reflective mirror, Marth scrutinized himself with his sharp eyes. His lips compressed into a hard, distinctive line, before eliciting a delicate sigh.

Whenever he said it... _"I love you"... _then he should believe him... right?

He said it nearly every day, and His Highness verily did feel loved in "various" ways. So, why was there a need for question?

Oh, right. _Link._

Little Link was the only one wholly receiving all that "good lovin'". Marth accumulated an exceptional amount, but only for an allotted time.

One day.

Half a week.

A handful of choppy hours.

But Ike put on that manipulative grin, embraced him awfully close, and murmured, "_You know I love you, baby_..." in a tone that nearly gave out his _knees._

And all was well.

In those moments did the prince feel nothing could even begin to compare their unsurpassable love for one another, but yes. There was that one person, that one being who slapped the foundation right off that youthful face.

Again, _Link._

_My_, was he envious of him! To have such a beautiful partner! And he would dare push him away and refuse his affectionate, vigorous kisses? Did he _not _know how fortunate he was to have him in his clutches? Why, Prince Marth was more than qualified—_overly qualified_—for a lip-licking beefcake such as the mercenary. He had the looks, the _experience_, and the unconditional love that any man would ever lust after.

But Link was chosen over him.

_Him._

A blessed prince.

Another unexplainable phenomena of the universe.

Marth cleanly removed his old, chapping layer of gloss and applied to his exfoliated lips a new film, making faces in the silver mirror before stepping out and into the white sun. Nearby was a convenient water fountain, and the noble thought it refreshing to have a few sips before returning to his comrade and paramour. He pressed gently on the jutted bar, out flowing the cool, crisp water from the faucet. Elegantly, he lowered himself upon the fountain, pursing his lips, but careful not to allow the liquid to ruin his balm. The water wasn't mineral-enhanced, but it would suffice. It passed through his lips, water dribbling from his mouth, a relaxing sensation...

...A pair of hot hands gripped and squeezed firmly at his buns.

Prince Marth nearly bounced three meters high.

A hasty spin on his heel, the young man rapidly about-faced—as pink as a grapefruit pulp—eyes tensing and narrowing at his "touchy" friend. Did a fan trickle past security again? Who was Master Hand hiring these days...?

"_What in the name of—?_"

Pupils locked.

A handsome pair of tulips shone brighter than the star in the heavens.

Ike reeled him in hungrily like a fisherman would do a difficult bass, his gaze delicate and sweet, easy on the eyes. Marth, now stiff and visibly changing into numerous shades and tints of the red spectrum, flickered his thick lashes at the gorgeous man whose arms constricted his midsection lovingly.

"..._G-Goodness_, Ike. You nearly scared the ghost out of me."

The mercenary drilled his bright hues at his amour his infatuating grin spreading as fast as the heat bubbling in His Highness's blue blood.

"_Hmh_, I'm glad that's the only thing I almost did. M'surprised you didn't knock me out. I just wanted to take a more..._ creative_ approach."

Marth bobbed his head a little. His nervous sapphires sought other things rather than the other identical pair.

Odd, his behavior was, and Ike found it very, very strange and rare how easy it was for him to detect it. Prince Marth went to great and lengthy lengths to conceal his true inner feelings and emotions. And then, right that very second, Ike—searching inquisitively in those vast hues—could unconsciously sense a spirit of unsettlement quivering in them.

To see him in this state. It was... unnatural of him.

Vulnerable of him.

And in a strongly weird way, _cute_ of him.

"Somethin' bothering you, Hun?"

At this airy and abrupt utterance, Marth acknowledged his lover reflexively by meeting his eyes, but quickly looked back to the tiny rust on the white rail.

"Wh-Whatever do you mean? _Nothing's 'bothering' me, no... Nothing's... Nothing's wrong._"

"_Oh. _So you shot me a death glare and stressed those words for absolutely nothing? There's definitely somethin' up with you—" Ike slapped his right hand onto the way that the prince's back pressed upon with a heart-pounding smack, it positioned nearly an inch from his head. Marth's azures, electrified, wavered noticeably with no effort of cowering or hiding anything from the still, vibrant pair.

"—And I want to know_ what._"

The noble gulped.

He lamely looked into Ike's powerful orbs. He could feel them digging into his soul. Excavating, questing for something. And only he knew what that something was. He would voice it. No, that would weaken him more than he was already. Ike would have to figure things out for himself.

So Marth let his guard down.

His eyebrows relaxed, his sapphires a mirror—a gateway—to his conflicted heart. All the man had to do was peer inside them...

And he would find what he sought.

...He found it.

The indigo-haired swordsman angled his head to the left, a faint smirk on his lips.

That piqued the prince with no problem.

"How _dare_ you smirk! _How would you like it if you saw your—_you know what... _Never mind it_—"

"—_No no_..."

Prince Marth endeavored to veer off and out of his bodily trap, but Ike permitted him little wiggle room, deliciously compressing his well-proportioned body against him, the flushed prince sandwiched between the wall, and this... wonderfully-made man. The slightly taller of the two reached for Marth's hot face, caressing his toasty cheeks with the coolness of his knuckles as their pupils mingled passionately.

Without gasping another word, without taking a second breath, Ike chewed at his prince's lips, being merciless and selfish in terms of departing for air. Marth steadily lost his sanity, opening himself to his paramour, clinging onto his torso as his mouth eagerly swallowed up Ike's kiss, dainty moans betraying him as his hard efforts to have them silenced failed. The man had a way with his lips; Link was a fool to reject them.

In a progressive manner did the taller bluenette retreat, but the royal one continued to longingly chomp at him like a piranha. He blinked at the absence of those perfect petals... a dreamy twinkle in his glazed eyes.

"_Damn you._"

"_Don't resist_... an' I'm sorry, babycakes. I know I was makin' you jealous just then. It was obvious the way you ran off. I didn't mean to intentionally... _You know I love you both the same_."

"Yeah, yeah... _at times—whatever you're in the mood for._ I don't necessarily find it publicly entertaining watching you grab at Link's ass..." sinisterly, the prince's spheres changed their course as he simpered, "...I'd rather you grope _my_ ass."

This roused a chuckle or two from his mate, "I'll make it up to you in a couple hours, lovely. And you know... I was kinda gettin' back at ya from leaving me hanging back there."

"Well, it was a sick joke," Prince Marth tooted his lips, poking the other man's chest plate, "...You_ promise _you'll be there? Eleven? At my door? _Promise, promise...?_"

Ike claimed those inviting cushions of heaven with assurance, "_I promise_, Marth," the smooth devil nipped his lobe, "..._And when I finally have you all to myself, I'll be tappin' that pretty, little ass all night..." _He justified with a pleasurably painful pinch to his rear, drawing a moan from His Highness.

"Ike you _naughty_ man... Talk dirty to me some more."

"You like it when I talk dirty to you, baby?"

"_I love it_," hissed the prince through his pearls, who smacked the mercenary's firm buttocks, but kept his hand onto that delicious muscle, which in turn elicited a husky, sexy purr from within the base of his gut.

xXx

For supper in the Smash mansion was a thick cream of soup brew with garlic shrimp and bread. It was rather appetizing to add.

Ike and his love did not wish to stay for dessert. Unforeseeably, the green-loving man desired some alone time with the other swordsman. His head nearly exploded from pressure and the thin skin on his face nearly shriveled into ash at the increasing heat when he shakily invited Ike to his domain. Of course the mercenary accepted, there was ever-delicious desserts involved! And it was also a perfect opportunity to mature and strengthen their developing relationship… in privacy.

xXx

Things kicked off with a foot massage, Ike not being a specialist in this science, but he genuinely gave it his all in order to provide his lover with the relief he needed. Link's worn, chocolate boots failed to supply him with the arch support he so desperately needed for his feet.

A good-sized pot yielding cooking oil steadily heated on one of the eyes of the blonde's stove. The dessert wasn't readily made. No, no. But this was all intentional. Link thought that it would be wonderful and fun to have he and his mate work side-by-side in preparing their mini doughnut holes together. He could not wait to get started, but the oil took a bit longer than expected.

But that was alright with them both; it did not hinder them from bonding.

Dressed in pajamas after a nice, hot shower, Link relaxed against his wooden bedpost, his backside cooled by plush pillows. He traced invisible ellipses on his thighs as Ike's thumbs kneaded his weeping red soles at the rear of his bed. He smiled at his blonde's foot…

"You have a _really_ small foot."

"I am a small man, if you haven't noticed," the shorter of the two sharply retorted cockily. His twinkling, blue eyes cut to his lover, whose smile grew by three, rousing a series of chuckles…

"What size do you wear?"

"Er, it really depends on the shoe type. But in my boots I'm about a seven… seven-and-a-half…"

"Seriously?_ A seven?_ _Awwww... Winky and his widdle, cute, size seven feet…" _cooed the mercenary, lightly tickling his skin. Link snatched his foot away, for ticklish in the feet, he was.

"I said seven-and-a-half! _I'm almost an eight!_"

Ike let out a couple of hoots as a reaction to his love's snappy and defensiveness, reclaiming his foot. The blonde one plainly gyrated his azures in his head, folding his arms and nestling them into his chest. He could not see anything "cute" about a grown man—a hero!— having a wee pair of small feet. He'd rather have a much larger pair, like Ike and Prince Marth and Snake and all the adult males. You know, _manly _feet. Ike, as if he read every thought that bustled about in the Hyrulean's head at that moment, stopped his thumb-stroking. He preciously craned his foot to his lips, planting them squarely in the middle of his sole. Link's face illuminated with a healthy, pink glow at the tenderness of his lover's juicy lips, then wincing at how heavily their gazes collided. But he did not look away.

"I love your feet. _I love everything about you_."

And—literally—in the blink of an eye, Ike was straddling him, or more like lying on top of his mate's baking body forcefully, brushing lips. He was significantly heavy due to muscle mass, but that didn't matter at all to the blonde. It felt amazing to be skin to skin with someone who made him hot. Ike's fingertips stroked Link's cheek, shortly afterwards kissing the warm skin affectionately. The archer sank quietly into his pillows, his sapphires fluttering to a close as his mate produced more pecks. But steadily, those coral lips began to migrate south, creating a molten trail of moist kisses that had Link quaking with anticipation and… irreversible fear. Ike unconsciously pushed him further onto his bed, nearly till he laid straightly upon it, his kisses firming and gaining hardness and vigorousness as he sensibly ground his body against his mate.

Marth forewarned him of this only minutes ago.

A hand on his bare thigh, the other abandoning his burning visage, scraping under his sky-blue shirt and fanning out onto his flat abdomen.

No one's ever touched him in such a suggestive manner; especially not a man. It was… starling, and Ike's actions seemed to escalade as the days flew them by. He was always grabbing at Link in sexual ways… kissing him and stroking him… always beckoning him to snuggle in his lap. The blonde did not mind it, but lately, his uncomfortableness and uneasiness caused the hairs on his body to prickle and rise.

Ike's lips, and a faint bit of his tongue, traced his lover's jaw line, then dragging his instruments to the skin under Link's chin, kissing that thoroughly, and traveling lower and lower…

"I… Ike?"

A drunken, apprehensive Link placed his hands on his broad shoulders, squeezing his eyes closed as if he was preparing to be bitten by something hideous and ravenous. Hot lips now resided at the base of his neck…

"Ike… _Mn… St…_"

Teeth nibbled at his jutted collar bone, lapping at the sweet skin as the hand brushed delicately around the base of his boxer shorts, and kind of hanging around that area.

"_I-Ike…um… sto_—"

The mercenary lovingly stroked the blonde's thigh, that hot tongue dipping further into inaccessible areas of his body guarded by his shirt. He also popped the elastic band of his shorts. That's where Link drew the line. He pressed down on his shoulders, shoving him from his being.

"Ike, stop!"

The other swordsman, having no other option, removed himself from the archer, bore a slightly perplexed mask.

Link straightened himself, not readily able to meet his lover's confounded sapphires, but yearning to give him an explanation. They sat in the sheer cold of awkward silence.

"…Did I do something wrong?" inquired Ike indifferently. And Link's spheres inflated.

"No… I-It's not that. Er… it's just… how um…"

"_So_, you don't like it when I touch you?"

This was asked utilizing an undecipherable, foreign tone that Link did not know what to make of. It forced him to look to his lover, whose face was lit with a meager blush. His eyebrows frowned as did his lips.

And it shattered Link's heart, which also took a steep dive.

"Oh… Ike, no…"

The archer crawled into the open inviting lap with cautiousness towards Ike's facial changes. With sweetness, Link cupped his face. Ike had never seen a pair of eyes so empathetic and sincere.

"_I… _You misunderstand…! I… like it when you touch me. _I do_. B-But um… when you…"

"…Go a little overboard sometimes?"

"I-I'm not used to… all that, y'know? It's a little much for me. It's not that I don't like your touches, Ike._ I feel special when you embrace me an'… kiss me. I feel lucky that you've chosen… a boring person such as myself_—"

"Baby you're not 'boring'—"

"—You're the one keeping things interesting between us. I-I'm too… inexperienced to do anything. Marth told me that if we don't… d-do it soon, you'd lose interest in me and… and leave—"

"—He said _WHAT?_" hollered a flabbergasted bluenette, who nearly snapped Link's head off his body as he yanked it to meet those true-blue eyes. The shaken blonde peered away shamefully.

"You'd lose interest… B-But I don't wish to lose you like that. S-So I guess I should… loosen up and—"

"—No. _Don't even—don't believe—don't listen to that nonsense! _Geez… _Link, c'mere_…"

And Ike squeezed that body so, so tight with every muscle, "…None of that is true. Why, that's… that's so juvenile! _Sex? All I want is sex? _Babe, we're _more_ than that. _I'm_ more than that. 'Course I'm attracted to you, and I like to touch you. You know, feel you up from time to time. You're my boyfriend; it's kinda…_ how should I put this…_ required? And your 'inexperience', as you so negatively word it. It doesn't bother me; I find it cute when you squirm! We've only been dating a few months an' sex is one of the last things—"

Link quirked an eyebrow.

"…Erm, well not really one of 'em, but… you get what I'm sayin'. I'm not rushing you into anything. So just forget alllll about what Marth said. You please me well enough with these spontaneous pouts of yours…"

Azures glistened…

"_You mean that?_"

"That's my word."

And the pointy-eared man tackled his mate to his bed with a hug, the unexpected force and power sending him onto his back.

"Now don't tempt me…!" the bluenette warned.

The radiance of Link's shining face spawned a jumbling in his boyfriend's heart.

He just had to be the most beautiful thing he'd ever stumbled upon. A bright, young man with a massive amount of love to give, and he was the lucky recipient. Those eyes, and those lips… his smiles and that understanding… Link brought so much joy to him; whenever he was mentally and emotionally prepared to take that giant leap into the next complex stage of their union. He was not for sure if he could "discipline" himself. There was more kissing, when a truly frightening "pop" phenomena resounded throughout the four green-shaded walls. Link hopped off his mate, swishing his head and captivated attention towards the direction of the noise.

The pot on the stove rattled unpleasantly mad. The golden, slick vegetable oil flew from the pot in thick streams, the bottom of it dancing on the stove's eye like crazy with an irritating, metallic screech.

"_Shoot_, I let it overcook!"

The shorter of the two darted for his active stove, but Ike salvaged him by the wrist.

"No. Lemme handle this—"

"—I-I'll take care of it—"

"—No, no, no. _Yoooou_ sit down," he physically placed the blonde plush onto his mattress, "and let Ikey tend to the dangerous stuff."

Tinting to rival a rose, the archer observed his mate approach the pot casually. Being extremely precautious, Ike cloaked his hand with a handy, green oven mitt, situated the shimmying pot onto a non-active eye, and put an end to the heat. The bubbles were steadily decreasing, becoming less of a threat. The fumes emitting from the foul-smelling brew of burnt oil stirred wooziness; Link hustled over, his countenance crumbling.

"_Darn it…_"

"It's alright! We can just wash it and start all over!"

"But it's getting late…"

"_Late shmate_. We've got all the time in the world, darling. This is our quality time, right? Who's to rush that?"

Ike's handsome smile and ginger touch to the cheek was enough to subdue any opposing thought of the blonde's.

"Yeah. You're right…! Umm, I suppose I have enough oil left over. We could make a few! Perhaps even some for Marth and the others!"

Ike was hit with an invisible club of consciousness.

Marth.

He unflinchingly glanced to the digital clock.

"_10:03 P.M._"

_That gives me fifty-seven minutes… Yeah, that should leave plenty o' time for me to make these things and head on over to his dorm…_

"Ike can you help me with preparing the dough?"

"Uhh, sure thing, sweetie."

The couple hit things off, working alongside one another closely and swiftly. Link would plop the mini balls of biscuit dough into a much calmer pot of oil, and Ike would gather the browned fried dough and settle them into a dry container, where they stayed for only a handful of seconds before being tossed about in a mix of cinnamon and sugar crystals. Sometimes Link would catch his partner gobbling up a few of the spheres of deliciousness before due time…

But they did not take long to cook! Repeating their actions with ease, Ike and Link finished in record time. The two hopped onto Link's bed, finding interesting and fun ways to feed one another the sweets.

A very happy Ike savored this special time; more and more of his new lover blossomed before his cyan eyes. An even more amazing being sprouted from him, along with it, a brand-new impression…

"_Weady?_" questioned the archer at the far end of his bed. His mouth was wide open, his head tilted back. Ike shut one eye as he squinted with the other, aiming the last-remaining—doughnut hole for the blonde's "basket". The last remaining for them, that is. The others were packed away for their comrades.

"Yep!"

The ball of bread became airborne—Link swaying carefully, monitoring it—and with one, desperate motion of the head in went the piece! The swordsman chewed with happiness, scrambling to Ike who swallowed him up.

"…_Mmm_, those were good. Better than I expected them to be."

"I agree… Want s'more milk?"

"_No_… I'm fine. Thanks."

There was a smothered yawn…

"…And sleepy, too, apparently. You're nice and full now."

A laugh, and Link lay his golden head against his mate's chiseled chest that softened when relaxed, ringing his arms around him.

"Yeah… sleepy…"

Stealing a couple kisses, Ike took a double take to the electronic timekeeper.

"_10:42 P.M._"

_Perfect. Got some quality time in and just enough time to spare. Now, all that's left is to rock the baby to sleep…_

His mind continued to wander about he and His Highness's fast-approaching, midnight rendezvous, while Link's brain ached as he rearranged varying sentences inside it.

"_Ike? Would you like to sleep with me tonight?" No… that's too broad. He might get the wrong idea… Hmm… how about, "Ike? Would you mind spending the night with me?" That sounds a bit better… I-I would think that he would say yes. I would hope that he would agree—_

"—If you're sleepy an' you wanna go to bed, I mean, I wouldn't want to keep you up."

"Oh n-no! You are fine! A-And… actually, there's something that I want… to ask."

The duo of ceruleans collided carefully.

"Somethin' troubling you, babe?"

"No, nothing like that. I-I was just wondering if… y-you would… if we could… or if you _wanted—"_

"_C'mooon_," Ike squished his love's lips together with a candid smirk, "Spit it out."

Link lightly swatted his boyfriend's bothersome hand from his mouth, pouting with knitted eyebrows at the childish action, but he attempted to "spit out" his inquiry. It wasn't as easy as he thought it up to be…

"I… I wanted to ask you if you'd um… mind spending the night in my dorm?"

…"Blown away" would be the select words the befuddled mercenary would've used if he could muster the energy to speak, or even form a simple sentence.

He furrowed his eyebrows, bumpy hills popping from his forehead, and his eyes narrowed significantly. He analyzed his lover. His eyes swished all over—from his bedspread and into Ike's eyes mechanically—fingering his cold toes with jittery fingers. Awaiting, anticipating, dreading the answer that would either stun him, or numb him… The other swordsman's mind was like a powerhouse conjuring up question after question. Out of the blue, Link invited him to share his bed? Openly and cannily? Yes, there was an obvious squeak in his tone and a slight tremor in his body language, but… why now?

"…Where is this coming from? Are you doing this out of your own free will? No rushing, remember?"

Ike combed through his mate's silken locks of gold, comforting him and hopefully easing him and coaxing him… Link shuffled closer to his lover.

…He was so good to him.

"…I thought it up. I mean, since we are lovers, and we've been… d-dating for a few months, I figured we could… take that step."

A quick "yes" nestled at the tip of Ike's tongue, ready to leap out into the air, but something yanked that tongue shut. A mystical force. A powerful one.

One not to be reckoned with.

_Forgetting someone? _alarmed his conscious.

…The prince.

"_...You promise you'll be there? Eleven? At my door? Promise, promise...?"_

That promise.

That promise that was not to be broken under any circumstances; it was written in stone. Promises were everything to the noble. That was the foundation of their relationship. Making equal time for him and Link wasn't always possible; in some cases, Link had to be put first. And he was, leaving the prince without a fair turn with the mercenary. That was happening far too much for Marth's liking. So their scheduled liaison was meant to close the gap and spend some much needed bonding and spooning time with his beau.

But it could all be terminated by this one answer of the mercenary's.

Who did he treasure more? His lover, or his "mistress"?

"_If you don't want to… I'll understand_…" peeped the hunched Hyrulean, with a droop of his pointed ears.

This obliterated all the thoughts and arguments with himself over whether to stay or leave.

And the answer came pouring out.

"No, baby! 'Course I'd love to sleep with you!"

And Ike's long arms trapped him in a constricting hug. And in that moment, Link's happy heart exploded with fireworks of all colors! He'd did it!

"You will?" his eyes narrowed dangerously, "…and no funny stuff?"

"Yep. And I promise, no funny stuff."

The blonde's azures have never been so bright… Surely this was a night the he would never forget. Ike, too, was ecstatic about this rare ordeal, but one, poisoning thought spoiled that moment. A vision… both inflicting and inevitable. A picture of an alone, waiting prince, glancing timelessly at his clock.

xXx

Swallowed in darkness and sprinkles of moonlight here and there, Link crawled into his bed on the right, Ike entering the left. The blonde fell on his back with a sigh, and simply laid like that for a few minutes, sweating. Panting. The organ in him pounding and pounding and pounding.

Ike mimicked his lover, but turned his head to gaze at him, calculating what move or gesture he should perform next. Whatever it was going to be, it could not shy him away. He wished for Link to be as content as a kitten and crème, even though not he lusted to bind him in a smothering embrace amongst other things, but he promised no funny stuff.

Link felt eyes jabbing him. He wouldn't dare look at them. No, he wouldn't dare. Having another human body lying with him _on _his mattress _under _his covers _beside _him was already a bit much. Mind you, he'd never really shared his bed with another person. And for his first candidate being his male lover, one would bet it would be nerve-wrecking for him. For _anyone_ with a predicament like his! A contemplating Link clutched his comforter…

_Okay… it's alright. I-It's just nerves… that is all._

"_You know_, I don't bite."

A statement birthed in the darkness. The blonde turned his head; that's when their pupils locked dead on. Ike's lips and handsome profile bathed beautifully in the light of the moon. He dug his elbows into the soft mattress, to be closer to his love, but not alarmingly close. Close enough to create a sweet, romantic atmosphere in the dry air. Link blinked at Ike, who was now sitting up, looking down upon him propped up his elbows.

And… somehow, his body… moved closer to him. He didn't know why nor how, but he moved. Sluggishly and unsure, but… he moved. The other swordsman silently reached out, gently roping him in by the waist, but not forcibly, no. At his pace, at his preferred speed. Link felt that large hot hand on his naked back, and followed its guide right into Ike's chest. Smooth flesh kissed, and the very content mercenary pledged to never let go of the blonde's waist.

Good.

That is what Link would describe the sensible, thick feeling shooting through his veins.

…Good. He felt… good. Hot skin against his own, a caressive hand enveloping him protectively and preciously… the hand and body of the man he'd fallen helplessly in love with. It all felt so good to him; he didn't ever want to forget this new feeling. He burnt the warmth into his heart, hoping it would never leave.

Slowly, Link lifted his head from Ike's chest to search the irises of Ike's and simultaneously a hand cradled his cheek and fingered his ear.

"…_I love you_," whispered the bluenette, a kiss to the brow enclosing it. Link could only cheese and dig his nose into his mate's collarbone. Pure, indescribable happiness robbed him of his ability to give a right away answer… He was so exhilarated!

_I am so lucky._

"_I love you_, _too_, _Ike_…" the blushing blonde muttered airily, but instead of a swift kiss to the head, he quietly craned his neck to kiss him. And they did.

Rather passionately.

xXx

_Breakfast…_

Prince Marth elegantly slurped down his vanilla espresso after doing away with a banana nut muffin and a few morsels of fresh fruit. His poor teeth would need a good thorough brushing after this to reduce the staining, but he'd been wanting one for the longest. They would be alright… His shoes made a funny, tapping sound when hit against the waxed floor, but it did not annoy those around him. He sat proudly in his chair—posture awake and intimidating. He was polished down to the tooth and nail, almost literally; the man strived for perfection, notorious for it! His garments were crisp and tidy as always. But what contrasted and clashed with his entire appearance were his eyes. They were bloodshot, or just recovering from being bloodshot. From lack of sleep, maybe? Too much light?

Or, not impossibly, the result of flowing, steaming tears?

Or the remnants of a broken, stomped on heart?

Yet, he seemed to be so collected and stable! Why was this?

And they say eyes are a mirror of one's heart, which is the sanctuary for emotions. One glance into his clouded, tinted orbs and one would be overcome with a heavy feeling of worthlessness. But an even denser sense of unmistakable hatred.

They stared and stared at the tall, cherry-wooded door in anticipation of someone. The saucer quaked in his hands and the muffin crumbled between his fingertips.

A pet peeve of everyone's was a broken promise—but this just crossed the fine line.

Well, to cut to the chase, Ike failed to make his appearance that night. The prince waited and waited and waited like a helpless lover would wait for the return of their mate lost at sea, except Ike was not lost at sea. The bastard was a floor from him, and his ungrateful ass couldn't take a few, measly steps to his dorm and at least grow the balls to give him a reason why he decided to bail out on him at the last minute.

But, no. The prince did not need an explanation for that. He knew where he was that night. Precisely.

With _Link. _

Again, chosen over by him. He didn't understand it. Equality was one of their promises that the mercenary swore he would keep balanced and uphold.

Quite obviously, he lied.

And Marth wasn't having it. He wasn't some petty, useless tissue that you could just pick up use and discard whenever you pleased. Oh no, he was far above that.

Having him wait and wait and wait for hours and hours as if he were some patient on some damned schedule! He went all out for that night, and he dares to not show his face?

Even when he'd promised?

And he "loved" him?

…Love did not feel this way. Love did not make you feel meaningless. It did not constrict you, it did not plague you relentlessly and mercilessly, it did not torment you with visions of loneliness. It did not make you think that you were of far lesser value. Love was not those things. Love wasn't anything like that, and the prince knew it.

Love felt _good._

But… why did this begin to feel normal to him? He did know one thing for sure.

Love was troublesome. A troublesome, lusted thing.

…The doors creaked open.

His Highness's eyelids sank back into his skull.

There, strolling through the wavering doors, were Ike and Link, hand in hand.

_How sickening…_

The mercenary nodded in direction to the morning greets they were receiving, progressing towards their table.

Towards hell: towards Prince Marth Lowell.

"Ah! Marth, Good morning!" Link gleefully greeted, more sprightly than usual.

_Someone's happy…_

Ike had no greeting for him. He preferred to puff his cheeks and look at his feet. A rather smart move for the pickle he was in.

Prince Marth sprang to his feet and embraced his amigo wholly and friendly, putting on like he so expertly did oh so well. He could fool anyone, a benefit and advantage in situations like these.

"Good morning to you, too, Link, my darling! _You look like you certainly had a good night's sleep!_" He glared swiftly at the disregarding bluenette. His gaze along could put him under heart arrest.

Link scratched his head, "Mm, yeah. I-I slept good. _Great… oh!_" This was when the archer handed him the plate he did not notice he was carrying, "I brought something for you. Ike and I made these last night."

"_Ohhh_… These look delicious! Thank you, sweetie! I can only wonder what else you two will _make…!_"

Ike shivered.

The shorter of all three peered happily into his friend's pupils, but… the happiness soon faded… Blue orbs flooded with concern.

"Marth, are you okay?"

"_Me?_ Why, yes. I am quite fine, thank you for asking."

"No. I mean, your eyes are red."

Acting utterly surprised, the prince blank dumbly.

"My eyes?" he flipped out his compact mirror, "Oh! _Ahh_, must be the pollen in the air. Darned, nasty things...! How misfortunate, huh? I suppose I'll fetch my eye drops and head on out to get some last-minute training in with Falchion here—"

"—Did you have breakfast?" Link inquired.

"Mmhm! A muffin and lots of fruit! You need not worry, my precious friend. I promised to never give you a scare like I'd done the other day. _And I keep my promises!_"

Ike swallowed, but that produced a large smile on the blonde's lips.

"That's really good to hear…! Um, Ike what would you like for breakfast?"

Ike flinched at the call of his name, but he brushed it off.

"Uhh, French toast. Lots of French toast."

"Okay, I'll go fix a plate for you," Link released his hand, "See you outside Marth!"

"_Roger!_"

And the Hyrulean took off…

Ike and Marth stood as quiet as dust.

Honestly, the mercenary feared for his head. He knew—oh, he _knew_—what this crazy man was capable of doing when motivated by feelings. He braced his body, his mind and his heart for the fury of the bluenette prince with the hardest of steels, when—just as he'd finished—Marth simply walked off.

_W-What?_

Yep, just walked right on past him. No words, no shouting, no snarls or flashes of beastly teeth. Nope. Nothing.

Which naturally meant something was terribly, terribly wrong.

Difficult, it was, to delve into his prince's mind, but _never _did he let him off this easy.

_So he's just gonna walk away? Just like that? I… Well, what can I say? No… I can't say anything. There isn't anything I can say. I broke a promise. There is nothing one can possibly say after a broken promise. But I just can't let him go. I can't let him walk way..._

"Marth, bab—"

Ike took only one step. _One_, and was stopped dead in his tracks. There was a gust of wind, a sound of sharpening metal, and a small prick.

As rapidly as a brain could conjure up a thought, Prince Marth had withdrawn his blessed blade, shoving it between him and the mercenary, the tip of the blade tightly piercing the exterior of his cobalt tunic and the skin of his right breast.

Wincing, the taller man cautiously met his eyes…

His watery, red eyes.

"I. Hate. You."

He said it casually, without a crumble in that decree. Not one falter, not one stuttered letter. His eyes did not even quiver. He allowed his secret lover to sink that deep, deep, _deep_ into his skull, onyx dots coldly unresponsive, his thin eyebrows clashed, lips pressed tightly.

Ike was truly petrified…

Marth sheathed Falchion mechanically, refusing to tear his eyes from him, but fluidly turned on both heels and walked out of the silent café with angry hips. Ike blinked like a dumbfounded deer.

Because he meant those words.

_End Flashback…_

xXx

_Daichi wa hateshinaku subete wa utsukushiku_

_Omae ga me wo tojita kisetsu wa sugite yuku_

_Kanashimi wa ima mo kie wa shinai keredo_

_Omoikogarete ita sekai ga hajimaru_

_Kanashimi no hate ni yatto mitsuketa_

_Omae to iu na no hana wo dakishimeta_

_Yarusenai hodo ai ga koborete yuku_

_Umarekawaru nara omae no soba ni_

_You are the irreplaceable flower…_

(The Earth goes on forever, everything is beautiful

You closed your eyes and the seasons pass on

The sadness won't disappear, even now, but

The world I longed for is beginning

At the end of my sadness, I found it at last

I held the flower named you close

Till it makes me helpless, I overflow with love

If I am reborn, I will be by your side

You are the irreplaceable flower…)

…The crowds roared as a comfortably dressed blonde powerfully stretched the very last syllable to completion. Once finishing the piece, Link calmly exited the stage through the blinding snow, wetting his dry lips as he parted for the special sectional for the Smashers, greeted by his spazzing comrades.

"And that was Link, everybody!" announced Captain Falcon—or Douglas for the sake of his hosting gig—applauding, "_Outstanding! What a voice!_"

The Hyrulean started up the steps, trading embraces and high fives to and from his friends. Pit could hardly wait for him to come to the top! He absolutely loved Link's performance! The way his voice echoed deeply throughout the dome, and his eyes. His sparkling blue eyes bubbling with passion in sync and connected to the lyrics of the song.

He was genuine with his singing… all hearts could tell.

_He's… amazing._

"You were simply superb, Link. Beautiful, beautiful!" Princess Zelda commented, ruffling the snowflakes from his blinding locks. And the archer laughed wholeheartedly, given a peck to his head.

"Thanks, Zel."

Moving right along, two duos of painfully familiar irises entrapped his own. Ike—with the prince to his right—held a gaze with him, refusing to let go even as he made his way to the top of the bleachers. No problem. Link agreed to the stare down challenge, his pupils sharpened, emotionless and connectionless. Prince Marth backed out of the competition, shaken.

Ike did not know what those blue eyes were trying to tell him. But suddenly, his lips—his face overall uninterested and still—coldly smirked. And with that, he marched composedly to his seat. Ike was forced to blink, partially because fluttering snowflakes were interfering with his sight, and to check if he was seeing correctly.

…It was not just any ol' smirk. A sort of… "I told you so" smirk. One that a professional smart aleck would wear.

The bluenette didn't know what to make of it… he was happy to some extent that it was a step beyond just peering plainly at him, but… was that smug smirk one in a bad direction?

Prince Marth sneezed lightly; audible enough for Ike to stop and pick his jaw from the ground.

"Bless you… Sick?"

"Hopefully not. I don't have the sniffles…" the prince sank into his mink coat, sighing, "Well, Link had a wonderful performance. It reminded me of the old times."

"Yeah… It was really good—"

Another sneeze.

"—Bless you! You sure you're not coming down with something?"

Marth motioned his gloved hand, the other shielding his nose.

"I-I'm good!" he sniffled, with—and though his comrade could not see it underneath his hand—an ensuring grin.

"Oh, alright… Ah—" the mercenary dived into one of his thousands of pockets, thus appearing a Kleenex… "—Here you go."

Prince Marth inspected the thin tissue for a moment, accepting it nonetheless with a soft nod.

"Thank you, Ike."

A wide smile, and Marth delicately blew his nose, dabbing it ever so tediously. Ike put on a smirk, when those watchful, scrutinizing pupils made a… ground-breaking discovery, though purely unexpected and unintended.

"_Marth._"

Ike caved closer his eyes intensified.

This roused an uneasiness within the blue-blooded, wide-eyed one. With a few, final swipes to the nose, Marth slowly backed out of the angelically soft tissue. Did he… do something?

"Y-Yes?" he spoke, his orbs darting here and there.

The mercenary leaned closer, those azures probing for a few more moments longer before finally explaining the reason for his sudden awkwardness.

…There was a warm smile.

"You're not wearing any make-up."

Prince Marth blank thrice, then glowed with a soft tint of rose in his cheeks.

"O-Oh…" he stuffed the stained tissue way in his coat pocket, his gaze abruptly focused on other things, "Y-Yes… I-I am not. I thought that it would be a nice change… Plus it takes hours to apply and remove that stuff. It's work…"

He dug his neck into the confines of his authentic mink coat—both for concealment and warmth—a little self-conscious still, but the man had stopped, and so suddenly at that, this long-time habit?

Ike grinned at him…

"I like the change," he said, gentle eyes glistening proudly. Marth's burrowed head inched out of hiding like a curious tortoise. A _touched_, curious tortoise.

Sapphires mingled, and a prince's sincere smile graced the crisp, night air.

"_Thank you_, Ike. Really._ That_… that means a whole lot…"

"It's nice to see a more natural side of you… Although, I am smelling a faint scent of… _strawberry_."

"_Hey._ Small steps! And for your information, it's balm, not lip gloss! There is a relative difference."

"…"

"_Fine._ But small steps! _Small!_"

Meanwhile, five bleachers above, Link shuffled his way back to his spot adjacent to the dreamy-eyed brunet.

"Link! _That was—! _That was great!"

The giddy blonde took his spot, and Pit settled on down into the empty chair…

"Thanks, Pit," he grinned handsomely in his direction, "…I wasn't as nervous this time."

"You didn't look nervous at all to me! You were so calm and collected!"

"Yeah, 'Suppose so… but still, it'd be nice if you were up there with me like last time. Hey! We should do another duet!"

Pit's heart lifted off… He actually desired to sing alongside him once more?

"Really? You really want to sing together? A-Again?"

"Why not? You're a beautiful singer; I'd like to hear more of your voice. You're already a huge hit!"

That mere statement was sufficient enough to instill an astronomical amount of courage within the glowing angel. Once again, that specific feeling resurged. That… pure, unmistakable emotion that purged thick through his veins. That feeling… that he could do anything—say anything, _be_ anything—as long as Link was by his side. Nothing, absolutely nothing, was impossible in those deep blue eyes.

Link swiftly met those probing amethysts, just… smiling.

It baffled the young Pit.

"W…What?"

The spheres did not change.

That caused the brunet to really spasming, his toasted face bleeding with pink.

"_WHAT?_ IS THERE SOMETHING ON MY FACE?"

Those fine lips taunted him for too long during those awkward ten seconds, but Link soon turned his head towards that evening's current spectacle.

"It's nothing," he assured with the same smile.

"O-Oh… Alright."

And the roused Pit settled calmly into his chair. But his thoughts were anything but "calm". Why, there has to be a reason for that momentous gander! Just… sitting there, gawking at him with that grin and… those gentle eyes. Or, maybe he was misconstruing everything again. Maybe there was indeed something on his face, and Link figured he'd look silly flaunting it about… Love, again, was notorious for providing him with mixed signals. Why couldn't it be simple, like a game of checkers with an infant? OR a "Walk in the park" as the earthlings like to say? Well, by any means, Link did say that he was not searching for a love interest at the moment.

"…_I'm not really interested in getting involved with anyone."_

It left a rather hopeless spirit in the striving angel. So, his painstaking efforts, his hopes and dreams stretched further away from him? But, that just graced him with more determination and thirst! It made him want him—pursue him—with exponentially increased passion and hunger. Winning Link's love was going to be trying and indefinitely long… but there wasn't a greater love in the universe nor a bigger shining heart, then that of the blonde swordsman. And if you asked Pit things between them could only get better! They'd been talking a lot, finding out more and more about one another. Link was smiling and laughing at his silliness. Yeah, it could only get better from there on out.

As long as that Ike steered clear of them—what he had been smartly doing for the passing days—the two would be inseperable!

"Hey, when is Nana and Popo's performance? Aren't they after the Random Selection?"

Pit thought at Link's inquiry, "Uhm, I think so. _Ugghh_..."

The brunet dreaded the upcoming performance. The pint-sized pair of mountain-climbing fighters were scheduled to put on an acrobatics routine.

Acrobatics meant outrageously high heights, hazardous stunts, and possibilities of serious injuries. He was dead-set against the two and their decision.

"_Piiiiiiiiiit!_ Popo and I've climbed mountains double the size of this stadium—!"

"—Yeah! _Quadruple_ the size—!" the piqued male chimed with mitted fists.

"—I think we can handle an acrobatics routine!" Nana persuaded.

A quite rational argument she presented, and with a little added persuasion from Link, she and her partner won the angel's favor.

A hand cupped the angel's knee cap with a comforting squeeze. Pit's amethysts caught a beautifully chilling set of blue eyes twinkling just as bright.

"They'll be okay," Link pressed.

Bones raddled, and an eternally-beating heart fluttered as the jolt of electricity from that beautifully expressive touch. A blush consumed his little peach face... he wasn't so cold anymore.

"O-Okay—"

"—Is it our turn next, Link? Our turn?" barged in Popo, who was currently trying to fight off the capped boy latched to his blue parka. The blonde was startled by this abrupt intrusion—all of his attention was given to the glowing, young man next to him—but he gave the boy his full attention as any kind person would... Sadly for Pit, he lost that warm palm on his knee.

"Almost! You're right after the Random Selection!"

He ruffled his hair, and the boys took their rough-housing elsewhere and carried on, leaving the couple be.

Though the angel missed that wondrous hand on his body, it gave him some time to recover from his sudden gesture. He wasn't expecting something of that magnitude, and so suddenly! But his recovery time was short-lived. Link, again, refocused onto Pit. Amethysts trembled at the blue hues as he retained his healthy blush. Those perfect lips slowly parted to say something, but the astonishing thunder of Douglas's voice severed all conversation throughout the herculean coliseum.

"Movin' right along!" a very formal Captain Falcon consulted his program card, blinking at the snow in his eyes, "It's the third Friday, so you all know what that means! Looks like we've got a Random Selection! Let's see who the lucky star'll be this evening!"

On all of the wide, silver screens, a rainbow whell of fortune appeared, each little slice of pie bearing a name and face of every Smasher that resided in the mansion: all thirty-five of them. Spectators hollered the names of the fighter that they'd love to see sing their heart out onstage.

Link just wished it wasn't him again. Random Selection meant there were three songs for him to sing—consecutively. He just didn't have enough "sing" in him after "Flower". Pit wouldn't mind singing, only if the blonde would agree to aid him. Ike hadn't sang a lyric since he'd arrived, and he had no intentions on starting anytime soon, especially not tonight.

"Is everybody ready?"

Lots of hooting and heckling verified that it was indeed time to throw the dart.

"_Right on! _Spin it!"

And at that command, the wheel gyrated, the colors all slushing and running together in a flickering mass.

"_AAAAAAAAND THE DART!_"

Seconds after, the demanded yellow dart flew to the wheel at a random, and a selection was made.

"Prince Marth! Our random singer for tonight is the prince!"

There were some cheers, a few, silent groans from those that thought it was a perfect waste of a selection. He'd sing anything on any day, but everyone was generally happy about the selection. The spotlight rained down on the unsuspecting nobleman, who had began to doze off a bit, relaxing against the comfort Ike provided. But the loud, white light and the call of his name woke him right on up. The screens broadcasted his deer-in-the-headlights expression, sinking into his jacket.

"_Uhh... _I... I..."

"_Go on... Go up there_," moved Ike with a few nudges.

"_But I don't want to sing tonight_..." pouted the prince, a grown man pout.

Ike's entire facial reigon distorted at this unorthodox remark. He didn't want to sing? From the very start that he'd closely known the man, he'd never turned down a song! But... just then... submerging himself in royalty's emotional, tremulous hues of blue, the mercenary understood where this strange opposition sprouted from... and where it originated from.

He understood.

"_Hey, look..._" Ike pet his shoulder to fully grasp him, "That won't happen again, alright? I'll put 'em in a vegetary state if I have to. I'll be sure of that. Now you go on up there and sing. You leave the hecklers to me."

That nice gesture was captured by the cameras, soft "Awww"s and "Ooooh"s and sharp-winded gasps catching the ears of many, the men included.

"C'mon, Prince Marth! Crowd's a waitin'!"

Another push by his confidently-smirking comrade, and the cherry-blushed prince trotted down the steps and onto the stage. He was handed a microphone.

"Alrighty. We've got our participant! Now, my friend, you're familiar with this—a test of vocal versatility and stamina! Are you ready to grace us with your voice?"

"Well, I-I—"

"—And let's see 'em!"

Every good set of eyes observed the panel, three little boxes with empty slots, though one had already commenced, browsing for a lyrical.

His three songs were chosen, again, at a random, but revealed to him only when he prepared to sing.

"Alrighty then, your three songs have been selected, but you won't know the names of the others till your song is over. Keeps the suspense, but of course you already knew that."

"But I should warn you—a-all of you—I wasnt expecting to sing—"

"—And that's the beauty of the Random Selection—!"

"—Yes, but...! I-I may be coming down with something—"

His last plea going into a deaf ear, Captain Falcon simply exited the stage, leaving the abandoned Prince Marth in the center to either sink or swim.

Chatter dissipated as light peetered into darkness, though a lone, stream of light illuminated the nobleman.

Somewhere, out in the stands, watched a very anxious set of cerulean eyes shielded behind a pair of black shades. This indiviual wore a black beanie as well, though they did not fully capture the lingering crimson strands of hair poking from beneath his hat and into his orbs. His lips were stretched from ear to ear supon looking at the prince on the screen.

His prince.

A very antsy Roy waited at the very edge of his seat. It was his second time concealing his identity behind dark cloths and successfully marching into Kareoke Friday, and both times he'd gotten to hear his former love sing! Of course he saw that man snuggled so close to him, and was still considerably heartbroken over the "bathroom" incident a couple days ago, but, he was going to support his lover. And he also had a little trick up his sleeve for the mercenary Ike. That indigo-haired man didn't know what was comin' to him.

Sing, sweetheart... C'mon... show those eyes...

His Highness closed his eyes for a momentous second, then, indeed, showed the awaiting audience those familiar spheres flickering with shine.

_Shihaisareru yubisaki made_

_Kuruoshi hodo shibirete_

_Atama no naka kowarete yuku_

_Watashi wa ima naze doko_

_Me no mae kara hikari ga kie_

_Towa no nemuri shi demo_

_Sasoi monku_

_Akai sono kuchibiru_

_Shibireru kokoro odoru midarete yuku_

_Sono chi ni oborete somaru_

_Mihatenu chi ni mukau me wa_

_Nani wo utsushi dashite yuku no?_

_Douka douka watakushi wo_

_Sono te de tsukande ite..._

(I'm being controlled all the way to my fingertips

Becoming insanely numb

Inside my head I'm breaking down

Where am I now and why?

The light before my eyes disappears

Permanently sleeping, even death

Tempting complaints

Those scarlet lips

The pounding of my numbing heart becomes disrupted

Stain yourself by drowning in that blood

Eyes facing neverending lands

What do they reflect?

Please please hold me in those hands...)

The disguised Roy sighed... His heart responded overwhelmingly to the prince's voice... a voice fit for a lullaby. It pounded fiercely, aching and longing for His Highness returned stronger than ever before... Though it wouldn't be long... No. It wouldn't be long until he won his heart all over again...

_...Anata to no hibi yume mite_

_Chitte itta hoshitachi mo_

_Douka douka samenu yo ni_

_Mune ni te wo ate negau_

_Yasashii no yara nani na no ka_

_Ichibyou goto ni iro wo kaeru_

_Zutto zutto watakushi wo_

_Sono te de tsukannde ite ai de._

(...The dream and scattered stars

Which I saw with you day after day

I touch my hands to my chest and wish

That I please please won't wake up

What is this tender feeling?

It changes colour every second

Forever and ever hold me in those hands with love.)

The first song closed, a breathless Prince Marth overcome at the cheers and whistles from the restless crowd.

His eyes sparkled at the warmth he felt from their responses! With glazed eyes, the prince waved softly to his fans.

"Th-Thank you—"

"—Whoa! Not one yet partner! Next song: Hit it!"

The music played, Marth hopping right back on his toes, clenching the microphone, concentration intensifying. This piece was, however, rather lax and easeful, allowing him to loosen up a bit...

_You followed me annoyingly, and took a deep breath trying to catch me,_

_who's leaving you alone._

_I grabbed your shoulders tightly and loudly said "We're through!"_

_That the farewell poison has already, without you knowing, spread in my __heart..._

_The disease where my love is slowly dying,_

_It hurts a little,_

_but I don't want to get better,_

_every single memory is erasing,_

_going back to the times when we were strangers,_

_I want to rest now..._

Roy was mesmerized... Those aglow sapphires saturated in emotion... his prince was forever a majestic man. Oh what he would give to wrap his arms about him securely. To taste his coral lips. To... to love him again. To give him his heart in dire hopes of being received...

_...Facing you and taking your hands, with a bitter smile, I said, "Please, be __happy"_

_To find a person who will soothe and embrace the scars that i've left you..._

_...Though it hurts too much now_

_some day, you might wipe your lips as a kiss triggers an unpleasant __memory,_

_trying to erase the warmth you felt when I held you in my arms,_

_cold tears will wash you... _(2)

The thought of Roy was irremovably stained into his head while singing this. It took every little muscle in his eyes to hold in those tears that he'd held for him. It was... as if all the films of his eyes could see was a still image of the redhead he once adored. Even when he curtained his eyes, there he was. Smiling, just as he did the last time he saw him happy. The last time he made him smile... Surely somewhere, someone else was making him happy. Whoever it maybe, Marth felt as if he owed them thanks...

That last lyrical piece left the prince somewhat stunned, a plain smile on his lips as he stared softly at his white boots, Roy on his mind. However, there was a following song that was left unsung.

A now settled crowd glimpsed to the screen for the title of the pending song.

...Link's breath hitched deeply in his chest as he recognized instantaneously with a wince and the angel saw.

"Is there something wrong?" he questioned.

The pointy-eared man stood on his feet.

"That's... that's his song," he muttered. Gasping, the blonde—like a brain-dead zombie—and walked to the steps. Pit shot up, "Link? Link, where are you going?"

...Roy was still. Not a muscle in his body would act, obey or shift. The title... he... it was all too familiar. Painfully familiar. And he saw in his former mate's stricken pupils. He had snapped out of his personal trance upon picking up all of these gasps, his heart nearly popping like a balloon in his bosom as he, too, read the title.

"I-I can't sing that..." Prince Marth spoke to the himself, then collected enough boom in his voice to announce to the people, "No. I cannot sing that... that song..."

Captain Falcon, also aware of the title and its significance in accordance to the prince, nodded in respect.

"Ah... O-Okay. Sorry folks, _Sakura Sake _is, um, well... M'sure we all know—"

"—Looks like we're short a person, but I think two is enough to do the job. Don't you think so, Marth? You are my friend, after all. My best friend."

The spotlight shifted all about the stadium, until finding the very man who'd stood up, who was seriously the last person he'd ever think would _look_ at him.

Link stood just as tall before the hunched prince with a smile that could light the sun alone. He had a microphone clutched in his right hand, and there was a wave of cheers from the darkened stands.

"L-Link—?"

"—You take over Roy's parts. I'll lead for a bit," the blonde man whispered to the confounded one, "You think you can sing this...? It's your test. To see if you have truly moved on... that's why I could not bare to stand by and watch you struggle with yourself. So, are you up for it?"

Prince Marth was, without a doubt, ecstatic that his best pal was talking to him; singing at his side was an added treat! But his reason... yes... it was precisely a test that would ultimately determine his place and feelings about the redhead. Because in the time of Roy, the three of them would perform this song altogether, though it was Roy who took over lead parts.

He sang it flawlessly; the very first time he did perform it, he smiled at the prince, and that is when he felt a Cupid's arrow in his shoulder. It was a pivital time for the blue-blooded man—the time when he first laid his eyes on him—so he really needed this closure. He needed to accept that the man was gone... And by singing this song as silly as it sounds, would provide him with that psychologically.

"I... I can do it. I'll sing," Prince Marth announced, and Douglas clapped his hands.

"Well, folks! Looks like we'll have a third song after all!_ Annnnnd _it appears that Prince Marth'll have some help—from a _friend!_"

As the millions of spectaters cheered; all seemed to be in favor of this untimely surprise! Ike's heart warmed for the prince. Since the incident, all the nobleman would fret over is relationship status with his former love. They had something special, and he reiterated that he feared it would be shattered forever on a daily basis. Having the blonde up there with him, talking to him, singing with him... he couldn't begin to imagine how ludicrously happy he felt.

And that empatheticness for him brought happiness to him as well.

Pearls twinkling in the light, Prince Marth winked to signal the sound booth they were ready. With a swift look to Link, who nodded, he waved his hand.

"Ready!"

And right on cue, the music blasted.

_**WOW!**_

_**WOW!**_

Link:

_Nigirishimeta te ga nanika iu_

_Kakedaseba ma ni au sato_

_Konbini de zasshi tachi yomi shiteta_

_Kinou no boku ni "Bye-Bye"..._

_...Hashiri dashita—_

Marth:

_—machi no oto wa—!_

**_—Kansei no you...!_**

**_...Sakura sake boku no mune no naka ni_**

**_Mebaeta na mo naki yume tachi_**

**_Furimuku na ushiro ni wa asu wa nai kara_**

**_Mae wo muke!_**

(Those hands clasped together say something

They say, if you dash out you may just be on time

So it's Bye-Bye to the me of yesterday...

...Who'd stand at the convenience store, reading magazines—

The sounds of the street that I dash out onto—

Sound like applause...!

...The cherry blossoms bloom in my heart

Those yet nameless dreams have started to grow

When I turn back to look, it's not tomorrow that's behind me

So I shall head forward!)

Marth:

_Eki mae de dareka utatteru_

_Sore wa kimi no suki na uta_

_Tooku hanarete mo kesshite kie nai_

_Dakara wakare ja nai_

_Itsuka futari—_

Link:

_—nozomu basho de—!_

**_—Meguri aitai...!_**

**_...Sakura sake kimi no mune no naka de_**

**_Yureteta chiisana tsubomi yo_**

**_Make nai you ni kujike nai you ni ima_**

**_Utau kara_**

**_Mirai nante sa sugu ni kawaru_**

**_Kaete miseru!_**

(In front of the station, someone's singing

That was your favourite song

No matter how far away I go, it definitely won't fade

That's why it's not a parting.

Someday, I hope—

—the two of us—!

—will meet by chance at the place I'm dreaming of!)

Roy could not believe his own eyes. His cherished and Link on stage singing his—no—_their_ song just as harmoniously and beateously than he? With just as much pep and hype as he...? It was nostalgically beautiful... To this day, he does not even know what force was acting upon his legs that hindered him from getting up and serenading with them...

**_...Sakura sake boku no mune no naka ni_**

**_Mebaeta na mo naki yume tachi_**

**_Furimuku na ushiro ni wa asu wa nai kara..._**

**_...Mae he! Mae he!_**

(...The cherry blossoms bloom in my heart

Those yet nameless dreams have started to grow

When I turn back to look, it's not tomorrow that's behind me...

_...Forward! Forward!_)

A precussional ending, and the audience crackled with excitement. Prince Marth gobbled the blonde up and spoiled him with kisses and love. Roy gave them a standing ovation. It really moved him... It moved him to the point where... where he wanted ever so badly to march down there to reclaim his beautiful prince. But no! It was all too soon!

"_Wow!_ Yet another magnificient performance from Prince Marth and Link! Terrific, fellas, terrific! I'm suer if our Roy was here, he'd be so proud of you two! _Fantastic, fantastic!_" the host praised.

The pair of friends stepped down from their pedestals on stage, murmurs and speculation following them as they were bound for backstage. Still clinging to him like grape jelly, the giddy bluenette tugged at the Hyrulean's sleeve. Once clearly out of the limelight and into the make-up hall, the blonde man spun on his heel and soulfully embraced the man on his arm. It got a few blinks from the prince, but straightly after he wrapped his arms about him as tightly as he could. He did not want to let go of that man for anything in the world.

Because that was indeed his best friend, and it felt so much better to love than to hate...

Link pulled back slightly to look at the face of the man that... betrayed him, only to not find that man. Yes, he found someone entirely different. An... emotional one, one with jumbles of words to spout and not knowing how to voice every single one without tying his own tongue. His sockets bore liquid that he fiercefully tried to wipe away, which roused a giggle from Link himself.

"_Aw_. Don't cry. You'll ruin your—" and it was that very moment that the blonde man witnessed the unbelievable. Marth removed his hands from his aquamarines, and there was no streak of black in sight. No residue, no nothing. Link—beyond bafled—rested his hands on the prince's naturally tinted cheeks.

"_Surprise?_"

"You're... You're not wearing any make up!" announced Link, grinning along with the royal one.

"Well, just tell the world, why don't you?"

"Oh, Marth! You look so handsome and imperfect!" Link hit his shoulder, "_I told you you didn't need that stuff..._ What brought along this?"

"This... This entire situation. Which reminds me..."

Prince Marth lowered himself upon a knee.

"_Come now, Marth. This isn't necessary... Stand up_," a red Link muttered, peering around for onlookers.

But he was ignored.

With his right hand in Marth's clasp, the prince planted an apologetic kiss upon his forepalm, thusly peering back up into his eyes with the most humblest expression any prince could manifest.

"Link, I am... _so, so_ very sorry for my actions. I... I was incredibly selfish and I hadn't a care in the world how that would—"

"—Marth, this isn't the time nor place to be discussing that. _Let's do it over lunch tomorrow or something_—"

The noble popped onto his feet.

"—Then allow me to treat you to dinner!"

Link blank at the alarming movement.

"Dinner?"

"Yes! I'll pay for everything! Anything you want!"

"Now spending your money is definitely not necessary!"

"No, please! It's the very least I can do for you! I... I never thought you'd ever speak to me again, let alone look at me, Link. You were so angry that day, I thought you were going to eat me alive..._ I love you, Link_. It is a love that is unreplaceable. And to not have that love is like losing you _and_ Roy. I lost him, but I refuse to lose you!"

And he hugged the blonde sweetly... who felt the love for him seeping through his pores and suffocating him with an invisible blanket of humbleness.

Link closed his eyes... "Well... _alright._ If you insist."

"Yes! Sunday evening! Do not forget!"

"I won't, Marth."

And the Prince marched away, skipping on by...

Link could only grin... He knew he wouldn't be capable of avoiding him for too long. Why, avoiding Marth would be like trying to avoid getting sand in one's shoes in a desert. It just wasn't going to happen. He had already forgiven him—of course his actions would not be forgotten—but Ike? No. It would take a hell of a lot to summon the mental and emotional strength not to slap that piteous man straight in the face.

"_No! Pit! Tell that lady to leave me alone! I'm not puttin' on that girly stuff!_"

His biding hurt for that man diminished at this new stirring. Link channeled his attention to a fussing Popo, Nana and Pit, who he caught staring at him with a confounded expression.

_Oh, that's right. Nana and Popo's acrobatic routine was after the Random Selection._

He rushed over, Pit breaking out in spasms, redirecting his focus to Popo and the make-up artist.

"Uhh, he'll be fine, ma'am, th-thank you!"

Popo smirked in victory as the woman walked off. That's when Link arrived on scene.

"Link! We're finally up next!" Nana pronounced before the blonde could even produce a breath.

"Ah, yes! You are, aren't you? You'll do fine, I'm sure."

"Some lady tried to put make up on my face... That stuff's for girls—"

"—That'll be enough, Popo. She just wanted you to be presentable when you performed, that's all. And um, speaking of make up, you two go on ahead and wait by the entrance. I'll meet you there in a sec, 'kay? Off you go! Off, off, off—_And don't touch anything!_"

And with a few pats to the smalls of their backs, the pair raced one another to their instructed area.

Link cocked his head in question... Pit had emphasized make up.

"Is there something that you'd like to discuss, Pit?" nervously asked the blonde. The archer's eyes shied away from this smooth voice.

"You and Prince Marth? You are friends now?"

"Well, um, yes. We're friends again. Of course, it's going to take some time to regain all my trust in him, but, he's still my friend. He'll always be special to me—"

"—After what he's done to you? How he's hurt you? How he's made you cry—the both of them—?"

"—He is my friend. We have a bond deeper than you could ever imagine; I've told you that before, haven't I? I could give less of a damn about Ike, but I can never keep my back turned on Marth—!"

A suddenly fiery Link retorted with tense brows, but a just as spicy, piqued Pit responded, now staring pointblank into those restless oceans.

"—But he doesn't deserve _anything! _He doesn't deserve—!"

"—Who are you to say what he deserves and what he doesn't? You haven't begin to understand what he's been through! He's crossed me, yes, but I have forgiven him...! I thought you of all people would understand that. You're an angel, right? You forgive those that have done you wrong? You _love_ them? _Maybe you should start practicing what you preach!_"

Pit's entire visage shifted, blinking as if sand had been thrown in his eyes.

...Those words.

Sharp.

Dazing.

Petrifying.

Those words did not fit his once gentle, sweet-talking Link.

Because words spilling form those sweet lips made his heart soar.

Those words were one more syllable short of obliterating it. And Link could definitely tell that he had done something wrong—those words, and that tone that he'd used was foreign to him as well.

"And up next, we have our very own Ice Climbers Popo and Nana with an amazing acrobatics routine for us all!"

Pit, now shivering a little bit, softened his face, but the tense eyebrows lingered.

"C'mon Nana, Popo... _Let's get you two on stage_..." he told himself, walking away.

"_Pit..._"

...The winged one walked to the mini Smashers, guiding them to the stairs with a false smile.

"Now you two do your best...! And be careful! Do not try anything risky and do not go off schedule for anything in this world! Popo, you make sure Nana—"

"—_Piiiiit!_ We'll be okay!" Popo pleaded, quite annoyed.

"Yeah, you shouldn't worry about us so much—!"

"—_About everything, actually_—" the boy intruded.

"—POPO—!"

"—Nana...? Popo? We're all waiting!" Captain Falcon said.

The ice-climbing female gave her guardian a tender hug.

"See ya, Pit! Don't worry, okay?"

And the pint-sized Smashers went on stage to do their thing, waves of greetings ringing in their little ears.

...Pit was stunned in his shoes by the whispered words of Popo. Even though he thought that he was... a bit of a worry wart, he only worried—he only went that extra mile—to ensure their safety. To protect them.

That's all he wanted to accomplish. To protect the people he loved from all the faces of pain, even if it meant shrouding them with overbearing annoyance.

Even if it meant... practically pissing them off.

Popo voiced what he'd been mentally fighting himself over. He tried to let up, he tried to break that difficult habit, but it was his angelic nature. Protection was his forte, his niche. To simply "back off" was not of his liking... He was not able to stop.

For love outweighed all reasoning.

Link stood behind him for a few moments, twiddling his fingers. He'd snuck up behind him during his epiphany, bearing with him a heartfelt apology.

"...Pit? _Pit, I'm_—"

"—Do I honestly worry too much? I-I don't mean to bother anyone. Or annoy anyone. I just... _I just want to protect everyone_. That's all I wish to do; I hate pain..." he about-faced to meet the blonde's hues, "...I care for you, Link. And Marth may promise to never ever hurt you again. But I cannot help how I feel. I do not want you weeping on my shoulder again, I do not want you to be pitiful or... or think less of yourself._ I—! _I... I don't like it when you're taken advantage of. I won't ever let that happen again! Not to you! _Because angels do not allow their friends to walk blindly into pain!_"

...Link stood stupefied before a beautiful indiviual. An understanding one. One who genuinely care for his wellbeing. Never would he think that this angel, someone he'd only knew little about personally, would be as sheltering towards him as he was... and fierce about it, too.

It was... a friend's love.

And it bewildered the Hyrulean to some extent, but slowly, slowly, he embraced the brunet, who shakily responded back with his arms.

"I'm sorry, Pit," he muttered crisply in his red ears, "I apologize for challenging you. You're a nice person, and I appreciate you for caring about me so... Thank you."

Pit pulled back, just to catch those breathtaking orbs in their natural state. And time paused for him. Link was just so... unbelievably gorgeous. His sharp jaws, soft skin, long, exotic ears and beady, blue eyes... like turquoise sequins.

_Do it! Tell him!_

_No... not now!_ Pit mentally retorted to himself. He'd been doing a lot of that for the past few weeks they'd been hanging around each other.

_What do you mean, "not now"? He's practically slobbering all over you! Tell him now!_

_It's not time yet! Not now... not just yet..._

_Oh yeah? Not if I can help it—_

"—_Link!_" "Pit—?"

Neither male spoke another word after that.

"Y-You go first, Link."

"No, Pit, you."

"No really, Link. What were you going to say?"

The archer sighed with a mild blush, "Uhm... well, there's something that I've been wanting to ask you for a while now..."

The brunet angel's heart rate skyrocketed. Could it be? A confession? Has Link been feeliung the very same for all this time?

"UHMM, YES?"

"I just wanted to know..._ has your room always been white? _No color at all? Just... bare?"

Pit felt as if he'd been knocked by a two ton mallet.

"Oh... _yeah... always white_," he humdrumingly replied, releasing him.

"I figured that. I mean, when I first walked into your room it was plain, despite all your beautiful figurines, and my, do you have some beautiful ones. I'd rather have them complimented, you know? By a color... it would liven up your dorm, I bet!"

"I've wanted to paint it a yellow-ish sorta color—"

"—Dandelion yellow! That would be brilliant! So, my question is..." Link hunched forward a little bit, "Would you allow me to... paint your room? I-I know it's a little awkward to be asking you this, but better now before I forget."

"...Sure."

And Link's pupils sparkled with joy.

"Really? You'll let me?"

"Why not? I'll help you out if you want."

And a very content Link encompassed the brunet swiftly.

"Then it's settled—!" Cheers broke out within the stadium, "—Oh yeah. We'd better get going if we want to see the rest of the kids' performance. Now what was it you were going to say?"

Pit, engrossed by Link's beauty, but now brought back to earth, blinked from his spell.

"What?"

"I interrupted you earlier. Weren't you going to say something?"

"Oh, that! Uh... _no_."

"No?"

"Yeah... it was n-nothing."

"...Are you sure?" the blonde pushed with a coaxing tone. Pit almost said it... He almost managed to get it out. But something held his tongue and clamped his lips shut.

"Yep, completely sure," he assured with a—literally—cheeky smile. And the two young men took their seats to partake in watching the duo of daredevils parade in the sky.

xXx

"..._And here you are!_ Thank you for coming out tonight! Enjoy your evening!"

Prince Marth kindly handed a middle-aged woman an autographed portrait of himself and waved, genuinely smiling. She trotted away with her lady friends, giggling expectedly. Ike stood to the side with his arms folded, waiting on the prince to finish up the few autographs he had left to dish out. Now prior to the infamous situation they were in, they'd be out there for hours at a time signing pictures and oftentimes taking them. But now, the amount of people seemed to be halved from the original count, but the prince was happy that he retained some loyal fans.

After a full hour of signing portraits, it boiled down to four, patient spectators. As Prince Marth began to prepare a signature for a little girl, a certain comment caught his ears... and the last person in line.

"_Man_... I've never been this close to Prince Marth before! The lines would always be crazy long, but I've finally gotten the chance! _He's even sexier up close..._" purred one quite normal-looking man to his neighboring pal.

"_Yeeeah_..._ Y'know_, I heard he can undo a button with his own _tongue_."

The prince flinched a little at that remark, a very unsettling nauseousness pooling at the pit of his being. Why must people talk of such things?

"For real? _Heh_, makes me wonder what else he can _undo_,_ know what I mean—?_"

"—_HEY_. Knock it off!"

The pair stepped aside to reveal the wielder of that powerful, passionate voice. Ike was reflexively brought to attention, and Prince Marth, too, peered up to meet eyes with this unknown yet bold indiviual.

The fully dark-clothed man with the peeking, crimson bangs shook a little in his shoes, but stood strong and seculded behind his black sunglasses. Roy squeezed his eyes shut in hopes that his voice did not give away his identity too much. But then, he was feeling as though being outspoken wasn't a bad idea. He couldn't nor would he stand by and listen to some meatheads degrade his prince no longer. No sir, he would not.

"What's _his _problem?"

"_C'mon, let's go_."

The men walked off, leaving the redhead behind with the lone prince, the mysterious one, and a standoffish Ike.

_Shoot! I knew this was a bad idea—!_

He turned on his heel to sprint for his life.

"—_Wait!_"

At the very command of His Highness, the former swordsman didn't dare take a step further. With his back turned against him, Roy panicked, shivering like crazy, and not from the biting cold.

_Crap, crap, crap!_

Prince Marth slowly stood up from his chair, pupils glued on the other man's onyx trenchcoat. He was an odd one, he so personally thought, but there was something about this odd one. From his suspicious beanie where a colony of rebellious red locks flared on the nape of his neck, to his winter combat boots that seemed to have collected a hoard of snow on the way. Ike thought he looked conniving more than anything; he'd have to keep a fine eye on this one.

"That was... very nice of you," Marth softly spoke, inching closer to this male. Roy simply nodded his head, calculating his next possible move.

_What can I do? If I talk, he'll realize who I am right off the bat! I can't allow that to happen... Master Hand said I must not reveal myself until the appropriate time, but... oh how I yearn to see his face. Man, this is bad. I can't stay here for much longer... I... I have to leave._

Again, he started for the nearest coliseum exit—

"—Stop, please!"

His order never failed; Roy cursed himself.

Marth walked closer, "Don't rush yourself! There has to be a reason why you've come here. You wanted an autograph, right? Well, as you can see, I've got plenty left over."

The bluenette spun around to gather one of his portraits and marker, walking until he stood before the slightly taller male, who now looked to his boots, "Now, who may I write this one out to?"

"Ro—" he stopped himself, grunting, "—uh—_Roooooux_. (1)"

"..._Roux?_ Did I hear that right?" Marth uncapped his permanent marker, running his brows into one another.

Roy nodded.

"_Okay_..." and he began to write, the black marker squeaking, "_To my... very outspoken friend Roux_._ Love, Marth... _Here you are."

"Roux" accepted the signed portrait, gulping. It was Roy's most treasured photo: A timeless black and white, Marth wearing a teasing smile, his eyes gently glowing while his hair was whisked away by an invisible wind. It was a picture of eloquent elegance... It was the picture framned romantically on his nightstand. The one he wished "Goodnight" to religiously before laying his head on his pillow every single night.

"Well, have a nice evening, Roux. Be safe; _come back next week!_"

And Roy hightailed out of there, leaving a very puzzled and dazed Prince Marth behind in the dust.

"_Man_, do you attract the weirdest people," Ike set a hand on his broad shoulder. Marth kept his eyes on "Roux's" backside, smiling.

_There's something about him that stirs me_.

"C'mon, let's go eat before there's nothing left. Then I'll be pissed."

And Ike started on his way, Marth staggering behind... then stopping, watching and waiting until the man blended into the canvas of the black night. It was quite some time till the mercenary noticed his sluggishness.

"_Marth! _You comin' or what?" he called.

"..._Coming._"

xXx

Saturday came, and typically for the cobalt-haired men, there was absolutely nothing to do. Their comrades frolicked in the heavy snow—Ike figured they would've gotten sick of it by now—whereas others smartly stayed inside doing whatever they saw fit for a day like that. The mercenary chose this day to ultimately tidy up his dormitory, because it looked as if a thousand tornadoes ripped through with an intent to kill anything and everything. Or maybe that was an exaggeration.

In the process of making his space more execeptional, he'd dug up some tickets—a pair of them. Guessing they were old and as useless as a used hankerchief he was as little as three seconds away from tossing them behind his back, thusly getting rid of them forever. But wait, they were still of some use! Why they were the tickets that he'd purchased a while ago—tickets to the fall carnival nearby.

They were still valid, for it was the last day of the autumn festivities. And since there were two, he must've been planning to go with Link upon buying them, but since they were not an item, the other ticket was a waste. _Unless_, he could find someone else to go with him. Oh, who was he kidding, he wasn't on good terms with anyone else in the manor, excluding the prince. Yeah, he'd try Marth and see what he was up to and what his plans were for that day. He wanted to do something; he wanted to be proactive today.

He wanted to get out.

_I'll clean this up later..._

(Marth's Dorm...)

_May 19th... 12:55 A.M_.

_Prince Marth can be the most romantic man in the world. It's funny how at one moment, he makes me want to chew his head off. And the next, I feel as though I would die without him by my side. We had yet another misunderstanding, but this man is grotesquely enchanting. Beautiful with his actions, light with his movement, charming with his eyes... It's not healthy. It's up and down with him all the time! I'm fed up with it... but I love him all the same. Link suggested that we try one more time with a calming dinner date away from the mansion tomorrow._

_I can only hope and pray that this works..._

_Flashback..._

"Another glass of fruit juice, love?"

Roy lazily bit off a piece of ham, "Sure."

Prince Marth took his mate's glass, departing to the juice counter with a long, gentle kiss to the cheek.

"_I love you_, Roy. You know that, right?"

"...Yeah."

A half smile and a second peck—this one longer—and off he went to the bar. Link—who had been watching from Princess Zelda's table—politely excused himself, then bolted to Roy's table. He'd known about their argument the previous night, but since the young couple appeared to be talking, he presumed that everything was alright between them once again.

"Mornin', Roy!"

The redhead sighed with crestfallen lips, "Good Morning, Link."

"Everything alright?"

That's when Roy shot him an expression that answered his inquiry, and one that spoke for itself, catching the message. The Hyrulean rolled his eyes... What was he going to do with them?

"That's how I feel, Link! I'm tired of this, too! It's driving me insane..."

"I thought everything was good now! What happened this time...?"

Roy drenched his waffle in maple syrup. "The typical: Fuss and fight. Get tired. Apologize. Make-up sex. Call it a night."

Link shrugged, "Well? That's not good enough?"

"'Not good enough'? Link, it's the same ol' song! We're always fighting... and over some of the dumbest of things, but it feels as if it's over a matter of life and death! My heart is in shambles. At one minute I'm as happy and in love with him as any giddy, lovestruck fool would be. The other... he's... he's intolerable. He won't listen to me, he disrespects me, he offends me... I can't do it—"

...

—**_KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK._**

"—Marth? Hey, Marth, you up?"

The prince flinched at the loud knocks; Consequently, Roy's diary had been shut. He registered that it was Ike, flung himself off his comfy bed and answered the call of his comrade.

"Yes?"

Marth looked himover. Ike seemed to be dressed casually and warmly. He himself just slipped on some shorts and a tee. He hadn't planned on going anywhere today. Was he heading out some place?

"Oh, uh... Hey. Morning."

"Good morning to you as well, Ike. I see you are dressed nicely today!"

"Yeah, I was, uh, getting ready to head out to the fall carnival. I've got an extra ticket, so, I thought about asking you and... seeing if you'd like to go with me. Unless you're busy..." the mercenary took a peek inside the nobleman's dorm, spotting a thick, onyx book, "...It looks like you were reading, or relaxing."

"Oh no! It's nothing! I'm avaliable today. Let me just slip on something really quick and I'll be ready to go, okay?"

"Alright. I'll just... wait here."

"You can come inside if you'd like. I'll only be a few, I promise!"

Ultimately, Ike shuffled inside, sitting at the side of the prince's bed. Marth scurried inside his spacious closet, picked a few clothes, and scurried right on out.

"Be right out," he assured, stepping into his bathroom, all smiles, disappearing behind the ivory door.

Ike returned the smirk, his orbs then free to wander wherever they pleased. Quite noticeably, Marth's novel rested and closed undisturbed near the end of his bed.

_Another book?_

Ike salvaged it, admired its unique texture, looking for any words indicating a title. He found none, which even enticed him even more about the book.

_Must've thrown the jacket away._

He opened it, landing instantly on the page the prince last left. He observed the handwriting, surprised that he did not find printed words like one would see in a regular published novel. It... looked to him that it was a diary. But since when did Prince Marth keep a journal, and why didn't he know about it? Nevertheless, he carried on, deciding to pick up where the blue-blooded bluenette left off.

"—It's not the same anymore, at least, not for me it is. The kisses, the sex... it's not passionate. It's not pleasurable. Not special... I love him, yes, and he's trying so hard to keep us together., but maybe... maybe it's time to split—"

"—_No Roy. No... _You can't possibly mean that!" Link protested and questioned, for those words swept him back in time to the day he and Prince Marth were settled warmly in his dorm, baking him the malfunctioned animal cookies, and the prince running to and fro like a headless chicken, unsure of how he'd confess to his crush. The fear in his heart, the excitement in his eyes...

Prince Marth loved Roy with a love text failed to express, and for Roy to talk of separation—like princesses discussing fashion over tea—was unacceptable to the blonde!

"I can't have a partner that kisses me with the very same lips that curse me. I don't deserve that. Maybe we're not compatible—"

"—And so your only option is breaking it off? Just like that? If that's the case, then, I say you are not as strongly and deeply in love with Marth as you claim."

Roy winced at this presumption.

"Excuse me? Link, if I did not love this man with every fiber that exists in me, do you think I would have put up with his foolishness for this long? Do you think I would be voluntarily wasting my time and my limited breath having this conversation with you on whether I should rid myself of him? Why, if I didn't love him, and if I was without a heart I would walk right on over there and break it off right this very instant! But what causes me to falter in doing this? My love for him, that's what! I love, love,_ love_ my prince and I have tried everything possible to keep the both of us happy, but my efforts seem to be in vain! I wish to stay in a relationship with Marth, but I also wish to stop hurting and being without him seems to be the only way!"

Tears pricked his azures, colorful emotions to be the blame as warm waves coaxed the liquid drops to fall.

But no! He refused to start babbling again. It was as if he didn't have enough of those nights where he silently wept himself to sleep in his lover's arms. Link consolingly pet his shoulder. He understood his pain, though never really experiencing something like that for himself, but, the rare, human trait of empathy granted him access to his heart.

"I want to do something, Link...! But... I don't know what to do."

That was Roy's way of indirectly pleading for help. He'd been trying not to rely on the archer's guidance for the last, few arguments; Link had later told him that asking for help did not show weakness.

"When's the last time you and Marth had a nice, evening dinner with one another?"

"...The night before?"

"_Nooo_... Like, away from the mansion and out to a nice restaurant? Has he ever taken you out to eat?"

"Oh, uh..." Roy put some honest thought into it, "...I don't think he has."

"Then why not start? From what I'm getting, you desire closeness with your lover. You two need to get away, is all! To talk over things in a relaxed atmosphere. Everything's tense around you both, and it's driving the two of you from each other. I think you should ask Marth about it. I'm sure he would agree. I hate seeing you two unhappy and clawing at each other all the time," Link stood as he caught his other comrade approaching, "I miss the feeling of my stomach turning inside out when finding you two just about connected by your mouths."

Those words tickled the redhead's stomach, which in turn, roused hearty laughter that painted a fresh blush on the tips of his cheeks and the brink of his nose. He missed those days, too...

"Link—"

"—No need to thank me, Roy. Anything for you."

"Well... that and... You need to get laid, my friend."

With that humorous, bold suggestion soaking into the blanched archer, Prince Marth reclaimed his spot in his chair, placing his love's drink next to his waffles.

"Oh! Why hello, Link. _Good morning to... you...?_" Link, dragging his boots across the reflective floor, did not produce a sound as he shuffled out of the mansion with the look of an outsmarted, outwitted master.

"Um... alright. Well, Roy they didn't have anymore fruit juice, so I settled for apple juice. I hope that is alright with you."

"It's fine, thank you," spoke Roy, with a true-blue smile.

Prince Marth bowed his head in understanding, this smile going unnoticed, raising his knife and fork to being consuming his own waffle. A warm hand nestled itself under his chin, which hiked his head up. Roy rose out of his seat, leaning across the talbe, and capturig his mate's lips by utter surprise. The noble blinked, but relished in the wonderful sensation of the sweetest lips on that side of the galaxy pressing against his. Roy—getting his fill—pulled away slowly, his smooth fingertips tracing his underside, grinning to his prince as he promised with all he had, "_I love you_—"

...

"—See? I told you I wouldn't be lo—_IKE! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?_ PUT THAT DOWN—DO NOT EVER TOUCH THAT!"

Faster than light had Prince Marth snatched the book out of his hands. It was so startlingly sudden and swift, Ike had to ask himself was he actually reading it minutes before... if it was acutally in his hands.

Confusion embraced him.

Ike, his sapphires digging holes into his empty hands, now cautiously peeled his body from the royal one's bed. He eyeballed the latter, who had frantically raced to his elegant wooden drawers. He threw the book inside, and shut the compartment, heaving... and heaving... and heaving. He steadily gained each one of his senses back, and his shattered composure. Why had he reacted in such a way? It was... it was just Roy's diary, and after all, he'd left it on his bed open for invitation. Of course any sane person would want to do a little snooping.

But... that journal. It was special to him. It was the last tangible piece of his beloved he had left. It belonged in no other hands than his own, because that's where he thought it to be the safest place. In his arms.

"Uh... I'm sorry Marth—"

"—No, it's fine. You're alright."

The prince arose to his toes, dusting himself and flaunting a princely smile. Ike's eyes permeated far past that plastic smile. Now probably wasn't the time to be discussing his momentous "freak out"; they were a few minutes away from having fun with one another.

"Okay... Ready to go?"

"Mmhm!"

And the swordsmen parted from the mansion, bundled comfortably for their little outing.

xXx

Amid the now light, drizzlzing snow, the fall carnival retained its colorful liveliness. The sun was beginning to set on the wintry horizon. Multicolored, dazzling lights and neon signs showed their true colors. There were still balloons, candies, exotic gifts and flavorful foods. Rambunctous children were scurrying here and there, layered and fluffy like colorful marshmallows. Rides were still functioning properly under such conditions, but staff ascertained top safety for all their riders for that final day.

The mercenary Ike and Prince Marth arrived right on time, the prince politely offering to purchase his own admission and treats, but Ike insisted and insisted on taking care of everything financially. A gentleman.

Truly, he had come for the snacks and the side booths that hosted many challenges. Along with winning one, as always, a reward was given. Most of them were various stuffed animals, big and small. He really didn't care much for them, but Marth found happiness in their cute faces and proudly toted them about on his shoulders and in a gallon-sized bag when they began to add up rapidly. Not that he was completely useless in these challenges. Whilst Ike dominated and excelled in the physical-oriented competitions, Prince Marth found his strength in the more intellectual mind games.

There was one specific game where a woman or man would try and guess your age. Well, Marth participated and was extremely flattered when the lady estimated younger than he actually was, and so much so, that it was in the range of winning a large, stuffed animal instead of the unattractive trinkets. He chose a green hippo, figuring Link would like something like that. He wished that his buddy could've come. It would be... sort of like a bonding day. But the issue of Ike being there would make things unavoidably awkward for them all. Still, he had their evening dinner to look forward to!

Another little side game he took a liking to was the three cups or more game with a single object under one.

One would shuffle them and ask the person which cup the object hid under. The prince, being swift with his eyes, would guess correctly every time, becoming the proud owner of three white, blue and yellow sheep.

He appeared to have gotten lucky in such games like the pond ducklings. The objective of this game was to choose one of thse identical water ducks, and whatever color you chose, you would find the corresponding shade on the differentiating types of prizes and you would only pick a prize within that shade. The most common color was white, which consisted of smaller, cheaper gifts. And Prince Marth did not like cheap. Yellow was medium, blue was large, and pink was extra large.

Fortunately for him, he attracted more blue than anything. Though he had been aiming hungrily for a pink-bellied duck, having his eyes on this jumbo-sized bunny. He used all of his tickets trying to win that bubby-eyed rabbit staring adoringly and longingly at him—or so he imagined. But... his winning streak ended; he ran out of luck, and his winnings were a frog, giraffe, three T-Rexes, a rainbow fish and an elephant...

All out of tickets and not bothering to ask Ike for two of his, he reluctantly left the stand.

Since it was a carnival, most of the prizes were the same. And so the bunny rabbit's cousins hiked high in the air taunted the prince. The mercenary witnessed the entire escapade when he went fishing for that pink duckling, and recognized his want for that fluffy animal.

"You hungry?" he asked his comrade, scents of cooking hot dogs coaxing his stomach and it had been doing that the moment they set foot in the fair.

"Mn..." Marth paused, as if listening to his stomach, "...a little. A snack would be nice. Do they have candy apples?"

"Yep. I'll be right back, here you go," Ike gave him his bag, loaded and blended with his animals, "And hey. Watch out for that kid over there. He's been eyeing your bag for... a while."

And Ike made his way over to the eatery, Marth settling down at the nearest table, sighing as he soon realized that his beloved bunny was a handful of paces away. If only he hadn't spent all his money and tickets elsewhere...

...A chilling cry alarmed him. One fit for an upset child.

Prince Marth directed his eyes to the place he thought the noise came from. A small, red-faced boy, about the height to where his knee cap was, was bawling to his mother as if he lost his favorite toy. After much investigating and eavesdropping, that was just the case. And that had been the kid Ike was just warning him about.

Dressed in a puffy, blue winter coat, the child pointed to the prince, and the mother followed his finger. She then shook her head in a disapproving manner, grabbing his hand and escorting him to the eatery line where Ike waited to place his order. But he resisted her tug by countering it with his own staggering force, giving his mother an even tougher time. And he was stirring up quite a scene.

_I think he wants one of my stuffed animals..._

Marth's eyes observed his swelling pouch of toys; surely they wouldn't all fit in his dorm. Plus, they would be much more valued in a young child's arms opposed to a grown man's corner simply for show. So, being kind and generous, the prince brought his sack to the fussing and tussling boy, tapping him lightly on his wee shoulder. It was if it was a magical touch, because the screeches ceased instantaneously. The little boy turned his round, pudgy head to look at the intruder, immediately identifying him as the tall man with all the toys, including the one he lost.

"Hello there, young one. _Aw_, did you lose your toy?"

Nervous, he lifted his head, giving him one sharp nod.

"_Well..._ You can have one of my toys. Any one you want!"

He opened the mouth of his bag, stepping back to allow the child to fish for his preferred toy, but... he simply stood before the mammoth-sized bag. He could've easily gotten lost in it now that the prince thought about it.

"_Wex_," the boy peeped, chewing a finger.

"'Wex'?" Marth knitted his brows.

"_Rex._ He's... trying to say 'Rex'. He set his little T-Rex down for one minute and the next it was no where to be found," his mother kindly clarified.

"_Oooh_, T-Rex! Actually, I think have quite a couple of those guys in here. _One moment_," the nobleman then turned to his colorful bag, "Oh yes! Here's one... and another... and there's this one, too..."

Meanwhile, a happy Ike received his precious hot dog, and the requested crimson candy apple, starting for the table that he previously saw the prince stationed at. Thing is, he wasn't there.

_Odd... Where could he have gone?_

Taking a large bite out of his refreshment, he stood firm, eyes scanning and searching for a certain, cobalt-haired man wearing a tiara, when he was just actually a couple of paces in front of him with that kid... and assumably his mother.

Ike swallowed, monitoring the situation from afar.

"...A green one, a yellow one, or a red one. You may have whichever one you like—"

The little, rosy-cheeked tyke launched himself at the yellow, animated T-Rex, yanking it from the hands of the prince, the smile created on his face for being reunited with his dinosaur—priceless.

"Thank you, sir! Oh, thank you! I was afraid he would never stop crying."

A grand smile lit up his visage, "No problem, ma'am. My pleasure," he kneeled to the young boy, "Now you have fun with him, okay? Don't let him go this time!"

He thanked him in the most understandable "Thank you" a little one like him could concoct, moving forward in line along with his appreciative mother.

"_Aw_... That was so sweet Marth."

With a turn, the prince locked pupils with a grinning, chewing Ike, who offered him his glittering candy treat.

"Here ya go. Last one, too."

"Heh, thank you," Marth removed the plastic, "The boy lost his dinosaur, so I gave him one of ours. You don't mind, do you?"

"'Course not! That was very kind of you. I'm sure he appreciates you for that..."

And so the swordsmen journeyed back to their table. As Marth munched on his candied apple and held conversation with Ike, those sapphires just kept drifting to the baby blue bunny across the cemented road...

"You want that rabbit, don't you?" Ike finally asked.

"_More than anything_... But I haven't a ticket left..."

Without another word, the mercenary handed him what was remaining of his hot dog—which was virtually nothing—starting off to the game stand.

Now at this little stand was a game that tested strength. It included a wedge mallet fit for crushing a skull, a cushioned button that, when hit, would launch a piece of metal up a lengthy and numbered board that stood... maybe ten feet tall, give or take. Reigning on top was a rusty, metal bell, which would ring when struck, supposedly by the metal block. The board displayed the numbers zero to one hundred, where the bell was nestled. Whoever struk the bell would win one of the jumbo prizes.

On the outside, it seemed simple. Even Ike thought so. But by the looks of things, the most other contenders could produce was a borderline fifty.

Three unsuccessful persons later, it was Ike's shot. Ceruleans were set on that bell, winning that gigantic rabbit for his pal. The manager of this game held his hand out to the bluenette. He presented him with his ticket, and in exchange, he was given the mallet.

"Alrighty, here you go sir. Whenever you're ready. Just hit the cushion and hope for a one hundred."

Ike swung the mallet a little... and was befuddled. Why, this mallet weighed no more than Ragnell; the man nearly labored passing the thing to him, and his physique wasn't at all towards the meager side.

Maybe it was just him.

Relaxing himself, Ike set the iron hammer on his shoulder. Two seconds, and he struck the cushion, a sound rivaling thunder resounding in everyone's ears, a grunt following it as he gave it everything he had— which was a bit much. The bell rang sharply as the metal collided into it, flying off of the board and into the sky... or... wherever it went.

The manager was speechless, as was all the stunned passerbys.

"IKE YOU DID IT!" Marth cheered, leaping to his feet. He ran over, shoving others out of his path in order to reach him, "Oh, thank you, thank you!"

"No problem, bud. Go on, tell 'im which one ya want."

He requested the rabbit and got it, toting it about on his shoulders as Ike now dragged around his envious bag of animals.

After swirling about in decored bowls and indulging in more fattening treats, Ike had come to two, final tickets. They'd rode nearly everything, won everything, and played every single side game. All that was left was the ferris wheel; Marth insisted that they rode it before leaving since the beginning of their outing. Ike had the tickets to do it. It was a fairly large one, but the people carts could not accomodate all of the prince's winnings. All except for Rufus, his newly acquired bunny. The ferris wheel manager promised to keep the rest of the animals safe, but he could not trust her with his bunny, so it rode with the prince instead.

In cart six, did they ride. It was rather refreshingly large for only two people, though Rufus counted as a third, but he sat of the opposite side of the men.

It had been a long day for the both of them, and all Ike wanted to do from that moment forward was relax and rest a little...

"Had fun?" he asked, stretching out.

But Prince Marth was too preoccupied looking out of the plastic window, cold, winter air caressing his face as he peered to the darkening heavens, spotting the very first twinkling stars that pierced through the fabric of the sky. There was nostalgia in all of this... Licks of scarlet painting over blue, the blazing sun hiding half of itself from the earth...

...Two new lovers—a redheaded swordsman and a blue-haired prince—all cooped up in a cart on a ferris wheel twenty minutes, both nervous wrecks, but with mouthfuls to say to one another. But all it took was one look. A look, a touch, a kiss...

...Roy had been on his mind for quite some time this week. It rose questions within, but it did not hurt him as much as it used to. He wondered about that.

And with Roy fresh on his mind...

"This place is very special to me," Marth faced the interested mercenary, who had already had his pupils tacked on him, "Roy and I went here, two years ago just about. We were a new pair, dating for some months; we wanted to do something special. Although it had been some time, we were still so shy towards each other. But here... On this very same ferris wheel, we loosened up. We became stronger together... I don't know why I brought that up. It's just... I've been thinking of him a lot lately—maybe it had a lot to do with "Sakura Sake"... And yes, the book you were reading earlier today, that was his diary."

"...Really?"

"Yes. He left it behind when he decided to quit on us... I've been reading it since that day; it has everything in it: his deepest desires, his heartache, his urges, his dreams, even his little crushes on Link, and... as you most likely read in that entry, our ups and downs that I'd hoped to fix. He did not give me that opportunity. But I am beginning to think that I didn't deserve one. I assumed that since he loved me so, he'd always stick around. He'd tolerate me and my... drolly attitude, so I kept pushing it and pushing it... until the day I inevitably pushed him away. _He hasn't come back since_..."

Hopeful azures looked below, the citizens magically turned into ants by the height. The gorgeous, setting sun seemed to have moved closer, glowing as red as Roy's hair...

"...But whenever he told me that he loved me—that he'd never leave me—I believed him. There wasn't a time when I second-guessed or was not at all convinced. He was faithful. Truthful to his word. And so I ask myself, despite it being two years since I had last seen him, if he still loves me, _will he eventually come back for me?_"

Ike, touched by Marth's openness, and the fact he trusted him enough to be told such information about his past love, scooted undetectably to his side, wrapping an arm around the prince's shoulder, pulling himself and his entire body upon him. Such warmth and intimacy comforted Marth; he relaxed into his hold.

"I think you should take your own advice. _If this Roy really loves you, he'll do everything in his power to get back to you_. Everything."

Prince Marth turned to look into the mercenary's orbs... he could sense if he honestly meant what he said by doing so.

"_You... really think he'll come back...?_"

"Yep. You're a good man. A little thick-headed at times, but you mean well. I'm sure he'll be back. Till then, though, I'll be takin' care of ya."

"..._Ike_."

And the mercenary found himself entangled in his comrade's arms.

"_Thank you..._" he breathed, breath broken, "_Thank you, Ike._"

Link had told them those same, exact words on those cold nights. He just needed a refresher... a reminder. With Ike there to keep him level-headed, he could get through this... he knew he could.

And now, with a renewed hope, the prince, Ike, and Rufus watched the sun sink into the earth.

* * *

Well, there you go!_ I hope to never let an update take this long ever again_. I put a lot of thought into this chapter... adding and deleting stuff (although it seems as though the deleting wasn't enough, huh? xD) Often did I think to sever this chapter into two parts, but I was already a third of the way finished when I thought of that, so I just said, "_What the heck_..." and pushed on through the writer's blocks. If anyone wants me to make the chapters a tad bit shorter, I will seriously consider it. _Seriously_. Just be sure to mention it in your review. :)

_Anyway_, Roy's_ finally_ coming back, _yay! _In the next chapter I would hope. It's very likely. :) I can't wait to fully write him out. Marth's reaction? _We shall see... _And speaking of the prince, that last part was a pain for me to write, mostly because I was debating heavily on whether him and Ike would end up banging in the cart, or just end it on a questionably innocent note, hence the ending. Their relationship will be a complex one... just wait till Roy gets in the mix. Cx As for Pit and Link, they're in their own, little world now.

They will have their troubles, too~

Hokage's (_meaningless_) Points:

(1): "Roux" actually means "redhead" (for a male) _en français_. It's convenient how that worked out, finding something that partially sounded like "Roy" and given the context.

(2): The reason why "Love Disease" isn't in romanji is because... it's Korean. And Korean romanji seems as though a toddler had is or her way with a keyboard. It was hard to decipher, too. Korean isn't my strong spot, so I just left it in English. It's a pretty song, though! C:

And here are the songs for anyone interested... (and the **bold **words meant Marth and Link were singing simultaneously, in case anyone forgot.)

Song(s):

- "FLOWER" by _GACKT_ (trns. xKokoro/Quizilla)

- "1582" by _KAT-TUN _(trns. HaNnA/JPOPAsia)

- "Love Disease" by _Super Junior _(trns. emily/JPOPAsia)

- "SAKURA SAKE" by _ARASHI_ (trns. Etchizen/JPOPAsia)

_Review Responses...!_

**itsMEdood:** Yes ma'am/sir! I'm gonna finish this alright. :) May take me a while, but I'm getting there! I can tell you that I feel bad for Ike in a way, but still, there's no making up for that in a LOOOOONG while. Thank you for your concern, though! A cookie for you! -hands chocolate cookie-

**Gargravarr: **Thanks for reviewing! Your chocolate chip cookie before I forget! -hands- Thank you, thank you, thank you for your humble thoughts. C: I enjoyed reading your review, because some of your pointers had caught my eye as well, and believe it or not, that really helped this chapter a lot. The narrator addressing the audience, and the tenses. I tried to be as clear as I could in this chapter on who was speaking and all, so hopefully that was made simpler for you. I tried to tone it down on the kids, too. And Marth and the others aren't as feminine anymore! :D Thanks to that "transformation" or epiphany, or whatever you'd like to call it. xD I guess I over emphasized their "sensitivity". I will be sure to not get their genders confused again. So thank you for your thoughts! I really did appreciate your review~! (SEME PIT WILL PREVIAL!)

**Ryuuguu Rena-Chan:** YES. Link is the ultimate uke! Total cuteness. -heart- Of course he is the uke! But I would've liked him to take Ike at least once while they were together... D: Maybe he will have another chance? Thank you for your favorite and your review, Rena-Chan! -gives suger cookie- I appreciate it a lot, really!

**XxStrawberryCheezecakeXx:** I'm glad you like long chapters! I can't make anything short for the life of me... Dl I'm ecstatic that you like it so much! Amid its mispellings and such, I try to make it so that it appeals to everyone. It's nice to know that I'm doing a good job. :) There will be more LinkXPit (or PitXLink, Pit being the seme, hoho) in the next chapter, I forsee. Hmm, and maybe Pit confesses...? You shall see! Yes, Link already had experience with Ike - who only let him be bottom, hard-ass... - so he isn't a really skilled seme. And what if Pit already has experience in the art of the sex? xDD AGAIN, all shall be revealed in the next chapter! I enjoyed reading your review, Cheesecake-Chan! I hope to see you again! And your cookie, for being a new reviewer~ -gives chocolate cookie- (Without the nuts.)

**I Love Link (heart): **Aw, why thank you! I certainly think that I am the number 439848343089403432th best fanfic (but there probably isn't that many fanfics on this site. If there is, then, damn. Wow. xD) Another LinkXPit fan, huh? Well, you are in luck! Because there is more to come! :DDD -celebrates- It will be new to write them, but I shall do all I can! I will try to make more kid scenes, too, so be sure to come back! A cookie for your troubles! -gives- Thank you for reviewing!

**ADashOfInsanity: **A brave soul, you are. How could you read this monster "a few hours straight"? My eyeballs would be burned out of my brain! But I congratulate you! Oh, so you like IkeXMarth? I like them together, especially in smut. Ike owns that ass... but eh, RoyXMarth? I see Roy as the seme in some situations. Here, Marth is... a little weak, so it would be easy for Roy to top when he comes back, which I can hardly wait for. C: Yes, there are five now. And with Roy here, SOMEONE is not gonna have a mate. Who will that someone be? You will have to keep reading to find out! O: Till then, a sugar cookie from me -gives- along with a thank you for your time! :D

**anonymous: **Hopefully you are not dying anymore! The newest chapter is finally here; I also hope that it wasn't a let down. D: I will continue to write this as long as someone enjoys reading it. :) And that someone could be you! Thank you for encouraging me to continue! Here is your cookie as well -gives Anon-Chan a sugar cookie- And thank you for reviewing~!

**Redbutterfly25:** -hands tissue for nosebleed- I did not know that it was that graphic. Hokage is horrible for those scenes... xD But I am flattered! YES! BAD, BAD IKEY! -sprays water on him- Tee hee, thanks Butterfly-Chan~ -gives cookie-

**Darkria:** Oh yes. What is done in the dark - literally - comes to the light eventually. It is betrayal at its best. D: I try to make it deep so people can see the point, and I'm glad you can see it. :) Thank you for your review~! A cookie... M&M! -gives cookie-

**Peachblossom20: **Blossom-Chan! Ahh, I wish I could update regularly. The only thing that sets me back is the length of the chapters. I think I put too much into one. D: I will try to cut it down a little so they'll come out much faster! Ike still wants Link, but there's no way Pit's lettin' that happen now that he's got him in his clutches! xD We shall see how it turns out, which I hope is very soon. But thanks for reviewing as always! -gives M&M cookie-

**Flock o' Seagulls:** SEAGULLS-CHAN! :DDDD (You should know that my brother finally defeated Ganon a while ago with my assistance. He was the one who picked up the Wiimote again and tried to get out of the Lakebed temple. But I helped!) Wee~ I never thought my stories could deprive people of sleep! But then I understand, because sometimes when I find out that one of my favorite yaoi manga has been turned into an anime, I stay up nearly all night and watch them and cry and bawl. xD I hope this one didn't give you a head ache (that usually happens all the time when I stay up for a long while staring at a blaring white screen! Dx) Ahh, and yes! The confusioness! One minute, Marth is a hero! The next, he is a manipulating whore. I think he got better in this chapter, though. He'll continue to get better. As for Ike? I think he will just be miserable... I can't wait to see what happens when Roy confronts him. ;) Now THAT'S something interesting! As always, I LOVE reading your reviews! They always make me happy and inspire me to continue writing! Thank you so much! -heart heart-

**Requiemofsolance:** Mmm, no. But now that I know those are unicorns (or pegasuses with horns on their heads) I am inspired to write something about them! Thanks for the info; it was useful! A cookie in exchange! -hands cookie- :)

**Kuroneko6: **I'm sorry if you do not long chapters! Again, I am considering to shorten them if it's too much of a problem for others... But I am glad that you like the fanfic! A cookie and a "thank you" for reviewing~! -hands piping hot cookie (sugar)-

**Moogle Empress:** Ahh, so thats's a moogle. Like I said, they sound like cute, hellish creatures. xD I'm glad that you see Pit as a mother. Soon though, maybe that role will be reversed? Hurr hurr, I try not too make things too sugary! 'Cause too much sugar causes tummy aches. D: As for your questions: "Will Roy reveal himself to Marth?" I am looking into my crystal ball, and it says that... it is highly likely. "Will Link and Pit ever confess?" The crystal ball also says this is highly likely. "Will the kids get another parental figure?" The crystal ball is giving me a blurry red... Hmm~ "And what about all the other guys in the mansion?" ...The crystal ball says that this is irrelevant. xD Thank you for your encouragement and your review~! :D

**Lady Midnight Sage:** Aww, that is okay, Midnight-dono! I am always thrilled to get a review from you no matter how late! :DDDD I FEELZ HONORED! -bowbowbow- I hope to get on DA sooner, too. To poison it with nonsense and what-not. BWAHAHAHA! Nice picture of Megaman, by the way. xD

**kira:** ADORABLE LINK, YAY! Uke Link is zee best hands down. There is no competition. He is the ultimate. Period. xD I try to keep him strong, like you kindly pointed out, and I also aim for him to be a cuddly kitten when needed. C: It's hard, but I try. Hee hee, Ikey and his Linky fanboy moments~ I shall have more of those, since he is missing Link terribly right now, poor thing. D; But then again, he was whoring around, so I don't feel as bad... AH! CONFUSION! D8 But anyway, thank you for your review! -hands cookie- Your thoughts are always welcome and loved!

**me-meself-and-i:** HA! I think you're the first person to say that you like Marth because he is an ass. Always starting trouble... but he is better now, I think. I would hope... :/ I'm also glad that you like it! Thank you very much for reviewing! It means a lot to me! Oh, and here's a cookie! -hands cookie-

**Sachiko V:** SACHIKO-CHAN! It doesn't matter how late your review is! As long as I get one from you, that alone makes Hokage happy! Yeeeeeah, Marth's starting to stand on his two feet again. He still has his obssession with the bunnies, but... he's getting there! xD I want him to be more noble and not... weak, y'know? So I'm trying. I liked the french toasty, breakfast thing with Link and Ike, too~ It made me sad, since they were not together. ;-; Maybe that will change? HEY. I didn't say it would or wouldn't! It is still uncertain... or is it? Blah, enough with these mindgames! Well, if he can be so noble, why didn't he treat Roy better than he had been? All of this could've been avoided! I really, REALLY hope you liked the new chappy! Pit will have more of Link in the next chapter, ho ho~~ l3

**Melodious Lion:** OOO: I hope I am not taking things too fast with the angel and the Hylian! xD Heh heeeeh, so you like the seme Pit as well, eh? Cl Hopefully you would like the next chapter, ho ho tee hee~ ANYWAYS... YAY! Someone who likes Pit and the kids, too! The Hare Hare Yukai dance was a last minute thing, too, so I'm glad I included it. C: Oh and TWISTER! I was debating on whether having Pit crash lips with Link, but then things would escalade, and the kids would be scarred. O - O Roy shall be coming back soooon! :DDD I am happy. He will straighten things out, I'm sure! Oh, I am so HAPPY that you like this story (even if it was originally for the LinkXPitness xD)! That's why I continue to write it. For you all! C: Thank you for your review Lion-Chan! It was very fangirlish~!

**Sparky:** PIKA-CHAN! (You're welcome for the cookie, too!) Oh, of course I must reply back to reviews! That would be mean if I didn't! Even if I had a hundred at a time I would find the time to reply to every single one! :3 I would like for someone to do the same for me~ Aww, well, hopefully you found Ike out to be more tolerable here. I tried to make him seem so... Although he still is grieving a little. I would be too if I lost sexy, little Link. xD But he brought that on himself. Roy is coming sooooon~! And he will come back for his prince! That is... if his prince is not already taken AND that is... if his prince indeed wants him back. Will he? You shall see soon! Thank you for your review Pika-Chaaaaan! I hope to see more form you!

**NyoChan:** HAHA! I was craving french toast when I wrote that, so Ike was craving it, too, served on Link, though. With better and different kinds of syrup. P: Glad that you liked Marth's speech~ I liked it too. He's not a sissy anymore, yay! Pit and Link will soon tie the knot, and maybe Ike will be lonely once Roy comes back (and LAWLS. The Marth/Roy/Ike threesome suggestion! I think that would work for maybe a week. Roy would get tired of sharing. Marth wouldn't care, 'cause, well, he as both of them~! xDDDD) And I hope you are enjoying you vacation, too! Thanks for finding the time to review this (crappy) fic! I appreciate it!

**bitbyboth:** And I am glad that you like Marth's little change~ It took some time to decide whether I wanted to do it or not, but I'm glad I did! C: Awww, I'm sorry you got them confused. But Roy shall be back soon! And he will make things right again for all of them! Or it will just be hell in the mansion. Either one of those... or both, maybe? We shall find out soon! Thank you for your review, bitbyboth! :)

**Lunar Guardian:** I hope you didn't stop checking your mail! :D Sometimes, I wonder what I should make Roy and Marth's fights about, y'know? But they fight about stupid things. "Well, what kind of stupid things?" And that's what stumps me. And the last part in the chapter with Ike and Marth on their little "outing". WILL they be friends henceforth? Ho ho... Maybe? And Seme Pit is getting more and more prominent. He is going to lose it one of these days, or in the next chapter perhaps? Keep on the look out, Lunar-Chan! Thank you for the review! :DD

**Rayestar Ikina:** Aww, my intention wasn't to make peoples cry! D: I wished for them to me sad, but not to cry! Well, after Roy's entire fight with Marth, he departed, and I guess he just got over it. But now he wants Marth back. Question is, when the time finally comes, will he accept him back? Sure he may want him now, but when he's standing there in the flesh, what shall happen? Cx Oh, Hokage has those types of dreams rarely, too. I haven't gotten any bad dreams lately. :) That's good, I guess? I'm glad you like Marth's change of heart! He shall have more in time~! But anyway, thank you for your review Raye-san! It is always loved!

**lyudesshadow: **YAY! Another Uke Link advocate! -high fives- He is the ultimate uke, and don't you forget it! Yeeeah, I like emotional things. That's kind of why they seem feminine because of how they openly display their emotions and such. D: Men don't really openly display their emotions, so... I guess that's what confuses a lot of people. I hate it, but, it's true. I cry at emotional yaoi manga/anime. I'm a big crybaby naturally, so, it's expected. I finished SD (Shadow Dragon)! I loved it. And I hope to ride out the end of this story along with you! Thank you for your sincereness and kindness as always in your reviews! Fighting~!

**Ernoma:** ...Yeah. I didn't know that this is was going to take a long time. D: My friend also had both of Ike's games, and I played them. C: I hope to buy them when I'm not shopping for yaoi online, which burns holes in my pockets. xD Hopefully you can remember what happened in the last chapter, although it took a year and maybe three or four days for me to update this. I put a lot of thought in, so I didn't sacrifice quality for quantity! C: I am still considering putting Soren in here, too. But he would be in such a mess... Poor guy. ): Thanks for reviewing as always, Nomanoma-Chan~!

**xXAngelic ScarsXx:** ROY BE ADORABLE! I hope you did write one in his POV, because that would be hella awesome and I would read it and love it forever! He shall come back soon, and then claim his prince and make Ike's life ever the more difficult! ...That's bad, considering that I really like him despite his bitchiness. But he's gotten better, ne? I think he has, at least. Thanks for reviewing, Angel-San! I misses you! xC

**Tylida: **I wish I could be a ninja, just like I wish I could quit school and be a pokemon trainer. I would be the best there ever was! Step aside, Trainer Red! xDDD I'm such a dork. Cx Yeah, poor Ikey. But if he wasn't such a whore and had to have two he wouldn't be in this mess, now would he? xD Oh shizz, you're the first to say something like that! Marth's too good for Ike! In retrospect, yes he is. But for Roy? Oh no. Not even close, but Roy still loves him. I think Link's beginning to fall for the little angel a bit~ And Pit's getting close to telling him how he feels, so we are not out of luck yet! Thank you, thank you for your kind words! :'D They touch Hokage's heart...

**Alenei:** Yes. Ike was SO incredibly angry he just had to go and uproot a poor, defenseless tree. Now that's hardcore lovin' right there. xD And I HATE it when you know that someone is going to apologize for doing soemthing stupid, and then the other person just up and leaves before they could even get a chance to! It's like... unfair man! And boy, you have no idea! I'm debating on whether to have them together, Ike and Marth, but then Marth's so hell-bent on getting back with Roy - who he doesn't know it coming back ;D - that he's too blind to see that Ike wants to "take care of him"... and in more ways than one, ho ho hee~ Thank you Alenei! (Or Kaji, you changed your name. I like your new one, too. C:)

**JtheChosen1:** ROY IS COMING BACK, SO PLEASE DO NOT KILL ME! xD Perhaps you sympathize with Ike even more now? Or even Marth? And ho ho, I think that you might have hit the jackpot with that assumption. With Roy coming back, who will be left alone? We all shall see, yes? Hokage will update faster, she promises! Until then, thank you so much~! :D

**Ma'at's Apprentice: **I am glad you like the cookie! Maybe the chapter matched its awesomeness? -bow- I appreciate your time for reviewing this! Thanks!

I'm terribly sorry if I missed anyone. D: It's been a while, but I carefully scanned over the reviews that I've gotten. :) You might need to re-read yours, too, in order to know what the hell I'm responding to. xD

Oh, zee next chapter...

_**Next Chapter... **_Marth and Link go on their dinner date~! But does it get a little complicated? And the mansion is shocked with the return of the ruby-haired swordsman, and no one is as blown away as the prince, who may or may not have fallen - AGAIN- for the mercenary. How will he react? How will the blonde react? And speaking of the single Hylian... Pit and Link begin to work on painting the angel's dorm. Having the blonde archer so close, and having him all to himself MIGHT compel the brunet to do something he may or may not regret~ _Tee hee_. Things get hot between the two: will this help them or hurt them?

The next chapter shall come fairly quickly, lovelies~ Hokage shall work extra hard to have the next chapter up in a jiffy! Till that day, a kindhearted review will be very, very nice~!

C:

Much Love,

HokageAkamaru


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